For Immediate Release
April 27, 2012 Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
*Test Baby Test to Drill Baby Drill*
Today the New Jersey Sierra Club along with other organizations and concerned citizens will be standing up for our coasts. The Department of Interior is holding their hearing on their draft plan on draft plan on oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean. This proposed plan for seismic testing in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean to evaluate oil, gas, and other resources is nothing more than a gateway for drilling off our coast. New Jersey Sierra Clubs main concern is that they would not be releasing a proposed seismic testing plan if they were not going to drill. It has been two years after the BP disaster and we are not any safer. Drilling off our coast is a huge risk that we are not willing to take especially because it would harm our coast, tourism industry, and economy.
"This testing is unnecessary and does environmental damage by impacting sea mammals and marine life. The only reason for this testing is so that they could drill later otherwise it is not logical for oil companies to waste this type of money. It is test baby test to drill baby drill," *said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. * Seismic testing alone posses many issues showing to disrupt marine life and animals especially sensitive to seismic testing is whales and dolphins. It has also been seen to cause commercial fishing catch rates to decrease dramatically. This draft plan for seismic testing is nothing more than a gateway to drilling. Even though this plan also includes renewable energy it is primarily about oil and gas. Opening up the Atlantic Coast to oil exploration could make offshore drilling off our coast a reality. This is not the first time our coast has been threatened by drilling. This summer two bills were introduced that would fast track offshore drilling. Drilling off the coast of Virginia less than 100 miles from New Jerseys coasts willpose a threat to New Jerseybecause Shell Oil Company has said it plans to run a pipeline through our state's waters. There was even a bill will directly threaten New Jerseys coast by opening up virtually every coast to offshore drilling.
"This plan makes the moratorium meaningless because it would take five years to do the studies anyway. The Obama administration patted themselves on the back for putting in place the moratorium that pat now rings hallow. The administration is being fossil foolish by putting our beaches at risk," *Jeff stated. *"They would not be testing or looking for oil unless they planned on drilling. Any potential drilling even off of the coast of Delaware or Virginia is a threat to New Jersey beaches. When we order sea food at our favorite restaurant down the shore we do not want to be ordering clams on the half shell oil."
This will put New Jersey at risk for a potential oil spill off of our coast. Since they have not strengthened the regulations for off shore drilling the likelihood of a disaster off our coast is very real. If there is drilling of the mid Atlantic they would bring the oil to New Jersey Refineries through pipelines putting us at risk for a potential disaster. An oil spill would not only affect our beaches and tourism, but our fisheries as well. New Jersey has a multi-billion dollar fishing industry in Cape May in particular, which would the area that would be most at risk. Not only does this put our coast at risk, but it undermines renewable energy and growing our green energy economy.
"One quart of oil pollutes a million gallons of water, but the only oil we want to see on our beaches in sun tan oil. We cannot trust big oil with our energy future. Even if the odds were one in a million, its not worth the risk to our economy and to our environment. We cannot drill ourselves into energy independence. We have to explore new technologies for wind and wave power and remove obstacles that stand in the way of clean energy," *said Tittel. *"We have a choice between oil wells and wind mills off our coast and we prefer wind because in America the Beautiful is says sea to shining sea not sea to oily sea."
-- Nicole Dallara, Outreach Coordinator New Jersey Sierra Club 145 W. Hanover Street Trenton, NJ 08618 609-656-7612 -- Nicole Dallara, Outreach Coordinator New Jersey Sierra Club 145 W. Hanover Street Trenton, NJ 08618 609-656-7612