The BOEM Proposal - This proposal is a 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program proposed by the Obama Administration. The Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management (BOEM) proposal could open up areas from Georgia to Virginia to offshore drilling, putting the New Jersey coast at risk.
Danger of Oil Spills - The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf caused unprecedented environmental and economic damage. The 200 million gallon explosion killed 11 people, injured 17 others, and harmed thousands of fish and wildlife species. The spill was the largest recorded in U.S. history and affected 16,000 total miles of coastline. Years later, oil is still washing up on the gulf’s shores and dozens of species have been affected including fish, oysters, and crab. Crabs and oysters have seen significant decreases in population growth. Noticeable declines in population and defects have also been recognized in fish like tuna and red snapper. The large-scale use of chemical dispersants to reduce the oil reaching the shore also has long-term effects relatively unknown. The current proposal in the Mid-Atlantic would put drilling less than 100 miles from New Jersey’s coast.
New Jersey Fisheries - New Jersey has a multi-billion dollar fishing industry up and down its coast, which is at risk. Commercial and recreational fishing in New Jersey support 50,000 jobs and generate $7.0 billion annually. Coastal states like Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are still recovering from impacts to their tourism and fishing industries five years later.
New Jersey Tourism - If an oil spill where to occur, it would have significant impacts on the tourism sector. During the summer of 1988 when medical waste washed up onto a 50- mile stretch of New Jersey’s shore, tourism dropped off significantly and the area directly lost at least $1 billion in revenue. An oil spill could trigger an even more dramatic decline in tourism and recreation revenues. Sierra Club’s Don’t Rig Our Coastal Economy report found that New Jersey’s coastal tourism industry supports nearly 500,000 jobs, and one out of every six of the state’s jobs are linked in some form to its shoreline. Visits to the area generate $16.6 billion in wages and add $5.5 billion to the state’s tax coffers.
Get Involved - Each year people across the country stand together to protest off-shore drilling, promote the need to move away from dirty fossil fuels and call to move us into a clean energy future. Each year the Sierra Club hosts a Hands Across the Sand event with other environmental groups. Here is a video of our Hands Across the Sand rally in 2015:
Contact Toni Granato at toni.granto@sierraclub.org to get involved and learn more.