Virginia lawmakers oppose airgun blasting, offshore drilling

A group of Virginia lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence in opposition to the five Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) permits issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and offshore drilling.

The delegation is imploring the Trump Administration to revoke the IHAs, refrain from issuing seismic airgun survey permits off the coast of Virginia and discontinue the inclusion of the Commonwealth’s offshore area in the final 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-VA) spearheaded the correspondence, which was signed by every Democratic member of the Virginia Congressional Delegation.

“Virginians have too much to lose when we prioritize polluters’ profits over the health and safety of our ocean and coastal communities,” McEachin said. “Seismic airgun blasting can devastate marine life, including endangered species and essential fish stocks. History has shown us that offshore drilling accidents can irrevocably harm coastal communities’ economies, public health, and marine life – and compromise military activities that are important to national security. The potential toll from an oil spill—in terms of damages, injuries, deaths, and other harms—is incalculable.”

The Virginia delegation maintains the administration’s recent decision to issue the IHA permits runs counter to the wishes of coastal communities up and down the Atlantic that would be at risk from offshore drilling and exploration.

“Assaulting our ocean with seismic airguns in search of dirty and dangerous offshore oil is reckless and wrong,” Diane Hoskins, Offshore Drilling campaign director of Oceana, said. “Today’s letter calls on President Trump’s administration to do the right thing and protect Virginia from the harms associated with offshore drilling. Seismic airgun blasting threatens serious injury and even death to whales, dolphins and other marine life. This dangerous blasting is being proposed so that companies can come in and drill for oil and gas off the Atlantic coast.”