skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, September 20, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Atlantic Oil and Gas Drilling: A Threat to NC's Natural Heritage?

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 28, 2015   

RALEIGH, N.C. - President Obama's proposal to open the North Carolina coast to oil and gas drilling is drawing opposition from some communities and conservation groups.

A five-year draft proposal to allow oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean was released Tuesday, and federal leaders have said it could make nearly 80 percent of undiscovered resources available and recoverable. But Dave Rogers, state director for Environment North Carolina, said the plan could hurt tourism, marine life and the coast.

"We're putting our natural heritage at risk if we allow offshore oil drilling," he said. "If any spills were to occur, it could really just be devastating to those communities that live along the coast."

Rogers cited communities along the Gulf of Mexico that still are feeling the impacts of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon spill.

Meanwhile, federal leaders say an environmental study of the Atlantic Coast will be conducted, and the plan could be scrapped if scientists discover the area is too environmentally sensitive.

The proposal is in its early stages, so there will be months of public hearings and comments. Rogers said opponents will be stepping up their efforts to ensure the North Carolina coast is kept out of the plan.

"We'll be working to gather public opposition to this plan," he said, "and then, working to convince the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and President Obama that it just doesn't make sense to open up North Carolina's coast."

Gov. Pat McCrory supports oil and gas exploration, and the jobs and revenue it would create. Rogers argued that the state should focus instead on greater investment in clean energy sources, including wind and solar power.

"We're all for energy independence," he said, "but it's a much better direction for us to move towards these clean sources that can actually power the entire state than it does to rely on dirty energy sources of the past."

Last week, the federal Interior Department announced it is releasing an environmental assessment that supports wind-energy development off the North Carolina coast.

More information on the draft proposal is online at doi.gov.

Reporting for this story by North Carolina News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest. Media in the Public Interest is funded in part by Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Some 899 of 936 public comments on the plan for the proposed West Fork Dam, or 96%, opposed the West Fork Battle Creek Dam project, according to a tally by Wyofile. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A federal agency is requiring Wyoming to update cost estimates for a large proposed dam in Carbon County, which has been under feasibility studies …


Social Issues

play sound

This Saturday marks the International Day of Peace and the advocacy group Nonviolent Peaceforce is kicking off a series of family-friendly events in M…

Social Issues

play sound

Some ballot initiatives this year have taken more than voter signatures to get onto the ballot in Nebraska. They've already withstood major court …


Social Issues

play sound

A new federal proposal to protect workers from extreme heat is being hailed as a potential lifesaver by labor advocates, even as Florida faces …

A clean energy industry advocacy report found nonunion workers are often paid less, incur more job-related injuries and receive fewer benefits than unionized employees. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A new study showed as Texas has emerged as a national leader in wind turbine and solar energy installations, clean energy workers often face …

play sound

Students enrolled at Wisconsin's technical colleges this fall might take a course where artificial intelligence is the star of the classroom…

Social Issues

play sound

Early voting begins today in Minnesota and the state has implemented policy moves with the intent of making voting easier. Nonpartisan civic …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021