After nearly 30 years, offshore drilling debate resurfaces

Since 1984, a moratorium fueled by previous opposition has caused offshore drilling along the Atlantic coast to be at a standstill. Now, with the revitalized support of government officials, the issue has resurfaced in a monumental way.

In January 2015, the Obama Administration announced a five-year draft plan that would open the Atlantic coast to drilling. This proposal, if passed, would open up leases for oil companies in 2021. Not until several years later, after sonar testing and construction of the rigs, would any drilling occur.

In the 1980s, the Manteo Prospect was thought to contain up to 5-trillion feet of natural gas, and according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, drew a great deal of attention from the oil industry. Attention has now shifted due to restrictions citing a 50-mile buffer zone between the coast and proposed drilling sites.

Like other events, this motion for offshore drilling has been met with heavy opposition by residents of coastal areas. Meetings held at The Comfort Inn and The Ramada in Kill Devil Hills were organized to show resistance to the bill. Nearly 600 people attended, arguing that few benefits would result from the operation.

“I think that it is a good idea to create jobs, but the downsides definitely outweigh the benefits,” senior George Clissold said. “Jobs created will be Virginia jobs because that’s the closest port.”

Five years ago in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil rig Deepwater Horizon burst, spilling 4.9 million barrels of petroleum into the Gulf and causing widespread ecological damage. The disaster cost the tourism industry on the Gulf Coast an estimated $23 billion, according to the US Travel Association.

In 2012, tourism generated $926 million in Dare County alone, according to the US Travel Association.

With the Deepwater Horizon spill and its extensive effects on the Gulf Coast still fresh in the minds of residents, many are concerned about the potential effects a spill could have on the local economy, despite the Obama Administration’s recent announcement regarding new safety regulations.

“The jobs are going to be cleaning up our beaches,” carpentry teacher Skip Saunders said. “I don’t have any faith in (what regulators say) because people are doing the drilling. There are going to be mistakes and there are going to be miscalculations.”

A major concern of oil drilling is its impact on local marine life. The Outer Banks is a place heavily dependent on industries like fishing. The risk of not only a major spill, but day-to-day leakage affecting the habitat of wildlife is one of the main arguments against drilling. The organization, Environment North Carolina, reported the Gulf of Mexico averages a spill of over 100,000 gallons every year.

“I think it’s a bad idea,” senior Liah McPherson said. “The consequences of an oil spill would obviously be bad, but additionally, in preparation for drilling they’re planning on doing extensive seismic testing which is seriously harmful to dolphins and whales.”

Since the Deepwater Horizon spill, the government and oil companies have put a lot of time and effort into lessening the environmental impact of oil drilling. The Oil Spill Commission, which was set up by President Obama in response to the Deepwater Horizon spill, announced in a statement that oil drilling is much safer now than at the time of the accident.

Proponents of the plan assure that it will help the United States move toward becoming more energy independent. Information gained from prospective oil fields are 30 years old and many say that new scans with more advanced technology could reveal greater amounts of accessible oil.

The operation could create upwards of 35,000 jobs and give a $4 billion bump in economic activity, according to research done by Quest Offshore Resources. This report also found that ports in Morehead City and Wilmington, North Carolina, would have an extensive part in servicing the oil industry, attracting jobs and creating investments.

Statistics about the potential effects of the proposal  moving forward vary from source to source, depending on who conducted the research.

“It is not final. We’re in the early stages of what is a multi-year process,” Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, told Darren Goode, a Politico reporter. “Some regions listed in it may be narrowed or taken out entirely.”

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