History Could Repeat Itself: Concerns Over Drilling Along North Carolina Coast
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
WILMINGTON, N.C. - As the country observes the fifth anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, which continues to impact the Gulf Coast, there are growing concerns over whether the same thing could happen off the coast of North Carolina.
A new federal proposal would allow offshore oil drilling from Virginia to Georgia. Dave Rogers, director of Environment North Carolina, says if drilling is allowed, history could repeat itself with severe consequences.
"For North Carolina, the biggest impacts are potential impacts that may very well come in the future," he says. "We've seen with the BP spill that a single large-scale spill can have devastating impacts."
Governor Pat McCrory recently requested the current proposed 50-mile "buffer zone," where drilling is not allowed, be reduced to allow drilling to take place in waters closer to the state's beaches. Supporters of offshore oil drilling say it is needed for energy independence, and that new technology and regulations will prevent another Deepwater Horizon explosion from occurring.
Rogers says technological improvements don't necessarily reduce the risk, and points to data that demonstrates nearly all offshore spills in the Gulf of Mexico since 1964 have been caused by weather, equipment failure or human error. He also says allowing offshore oil drilling along the Atlantic coast carries additional risks for the entire eastern seaboard.
"One of the most frightening things is if they were to drill off of our coast, it's likely to occur right in the heart of the Gulf Stream," he says. "That could mean impacts for folks all around the Atlantic because the Gulf Stream moves water and nutrients around pretty quickly in a cyclical fashion."
The Deepwater Horizon spill contaminated more than a thousand miles of shoreline from Texas to Florida, including 600 miles of beaches.
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