U.S. Senator Tom Carper took the Trump Administration to task for a decision to approve seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean. The testing is used to determine the presence of gas and oil.
The National Marine Fisheries Service awarded permits to five marine contractors to survey and conduct seismic tests in the waters between Delaware and Central Florida.
“Delaware has made clear its opposition to seismic testing because our state’s economy relies on the health and wellbeing of our coasts. Today’s proposal is a threat to our economy, our environment, and our way of life all along the East Coast,” said Senator Carper. “Clean coastal waters and the ocean ecosystems they support draw millions of visitors from around the country and billions of dollars for our coastal communities. This decision unnecessarily puts those economic drivers at risk, along with the vibrant marine life that inhabits the waters off of our coast. I have long advocated for a strategy to meet our country’s energy needs as we move toward greater energy efficiency and use of renewable energy, but today’s proposal to open up seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean is shortsighted and tone-deaf. Just days after 13 federal agencies issued a dire warning about the impacts of climate change and the need to change course, the Trump Administration has taken yet another major step backward.”
Last year, Legislation that banned drilling off the immediate coast of Delaware passed by a nearly unanimous margin and was signed by Gov. John Carney.
This came after the Trump Administration voted to open up large tracts off the East Coast to drilling.
