OIL & GAS & OUR CONTENTIOUS COAST
This news is pretty big. Governor Blanco's suit against the Minerals Managment Services (MMS) -- the federal agency that oversees off-shore oil & gas activity, has settled. Looks like a new environmental impact statement (EIS) will be created, assessing energy industry impacts on our coast, and an upcoming lease will be delayed until that assesment occurs. A significant step forward for coastal restoration. Nice work Gov!
At near the same time, the paper of record weighed in in favor of the Feds sharing oil & gas revenues with the affected coastal states. Nice work New York Times, and nice work Senator Landrieu for making it happen.
Of course, missed in the hemming and hawing about the Senate revenue-sharing bill vs. the evil House revenue-sharing bill that opens up wide swaths of the nation's coast to new drilling, is whether Louisiana's coast deserves to pin it's hopes for survival on NEW drilling, when it's the OLD & ONGOING drilling, that's really gotten us in this mess.
Oil canals have shredded our wetlands, disrupting the hydrology and allowing highly saline Gulf waters to penetrate deep into our marshes, killing vegetation and increasing erosion. Add in navigation canals and industrial areas developed to service off-shore oil fields and oil industry impacts are responsible for more than 40% of the coastal wetlands loss Louisiana is facing. Given that the huge Chevron field that was recently discovered is from an existing lease (and is being developed with a loophole included that keeps the companies from paying significant revenues from anyone state OR feds) - it seems like the coastal fix is still a long way from being funded.
CP WHAT R THEY THINKING?
While one side of the Looziana govmint is arguing oil & gas has royally messed up our coast, another side is arguing that the mother of all oil & gas mess ups (global warming fueled sea level rise) is too uncertain to be considered while plotting efforts to shore up our coast. Despite lots of research and plenty of coverage in the mainstream press, two members of Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) argued at last week's meeting that not enough is know to include sea level rise projections into the coastal restoration planning efforts. While I can understand why the CPRA would be loathe to add in one more loop into this gordian knot that is coastal restoration, I'm not sure why any of the august leaders that make up the CPRA would want their name on a plan that doesn't deal with reality.
Our climate crisis is real, it's here, and it demands leadership from Louisiana and all the Gulf States, as we'll be some of the hardest-hit by its effects.
Aaron Viles is the GRN's Campaign Director
This news is pretty big. Governor Blanco's suit against the Minerals Managment Services (MMS) -- the federal agency that oversees off-shore oil & gas activity, has settled. Looks like a new environmental impact statement (EIS) will be created, assessing energy industry impacts on our coast, and an upcoming lease will be delayed until that assesment occurs. A significant step forward for coastal restoration. Nice work Gov!
At near the same time, the paper of record weighed in in favor of the Feds sharing oil & gas revenues with the affected coastal states. Nice work New York Times, and nice work Senator Landrieu for making it happen.
Of course, missed in the hemming and hawing about the Senate revenue-sharing bill vs. the evil House revenue-sharing bill that opens up wide swaths of the nation's coast to new drilling, is whether Louisiana's coast deserves to pin it's hopes for survival on NEW drilling, when it's the OLD & ONGOING drilling, that's really gotten us in this mess.
Oil canals have shredded our wetlands, disrupting the hydrology and allowing highly saline Gulf waters to penetrate deep into our marshes, killing vegetation and increasing erosion. Add in navigation canals and industrial areas developed to service off-shore oil fields and oil industry impacts are responsible for more than 40% of the coastal wetlands loss Louisiana is facing. Given that the huge Chevron field that was recently discovered is from an existing lease (and is being developed with a loophole included that keeps the companies from paying significant revenues from anyone state OR feds) - it seems like the coastal fix is still a long way from being funded.
CP WHAT R THEY THINKING?
While one side of the Looziana govmint is arguing oil & gas has royally messed up our coast, another side is arguing that the mother of all oil & gas mess ups (global warming fueled sea level rise) is too uncertain to be considered while plotting efforts to shore up our coast. Despite lots of research and plenty of coverage in the mainstream press, two members of Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) argued at last week's meeting that not enough is know to include sea level rise projections into the coastal restoration planning efforts. While I can understand why the CPRA would be loathe to add in one more loop into this gordian knot that is coastal restoration, I'm not sure why any of the august leaders that make up the CPRA would want their name on a plan that doesn't deal with reality.
Our climate crisis is real, it's here, and it demands leadership from Louisiana and all the Gulf States, as we'll be some of the hardest-hit by its effects.
Aaron Viles is the GRN's Campaign Director
Labels: Global Warming, Natural Storm Defenses
posted by Aaron at 4:12 PM
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