Atlantic Seismic Tests for Oil: Marine Animals at Risk?
U.S. environmental review paves the way for first air-gun surveys in 26 years off the East Coast.
The Obama administration has paved the way for the first seismic oil and gas exploration in 26 years off the U.S. Atlantic coast, with an environmental review that concludes the air-gun blasts will have “moderate” impacts on marine mammals and sea turtles.
The document was three years in the making, and the Obama administration was urged to advance the plan by Southern governors, who say offshore drilling could bring new jobs to their states. But environmental groups argue that proposed mitigation measures will be insufficient to protect the rich sea life in the survey area, a large swath of the Atlantic coast, stretching from Delaware to Florida and encompassing an area twice the size of California.
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