Could Brunswick change course on offshore drilling? – The Daily News – Jacksonville Daily News

County is one of 2 local governments in NC that has supported proposed drilling off the coast

SUNSET BEACH -- A shift in Brunswick County's stance on offshore drilling may have been portended by an elected Republican's rare visit to the headquarters of the county's Democratic Party.

Brunswick County Commissioner Mike Forte visited the Bolivia headquarters in April to give a state of the county speech. Afterward, as he went to the parking lot, Oceana organizer Randy Sturgill chased the commissioner down to learn his stance on offshore drilling.

That stance, Forte said, is simple: "I am against seismic testing. I don't want to see drilling, I don't want to see windmills. Don't screw with my beaches because you take the beaches out of Brunswick County and I become Columbus County."

Brunswick, one of two North Carolina counties to pass a resolution in favor of offshore drilling and seismic testing when the Obama administration was conducting its review of the matter, could be poised to either wipe that pro-drilling stance off the board or reverse course entirely as soon as next month. The vote comes at a time when the Trump administration's Department of the Interior is conducting new reviews of both seismic testing and offshore drilling.

The July 2015 vote in favor of seismic and offshore drilling -- and an August 2015 vote to not rescind the resolution -- meant Brunswick and Carteret were the only North Carolina counties to support offshore drilling, even as 32 other governments passed resolutions against drilling -- seismic or both.

Scott Phillips, Forte's predecessor, openly wrestled with his vote on the matter in 2015, ultimately casting the deciding ballot in favor of both offshore drilling and maintaining the resolution.

Opponents of seismic testing say the loud, regular blasts could cause harm to sensitive mammals living in the Atlantic. And they say drilling could leave the coast vulnerable to oil spills and other impacts of a heavy industry.

Those in favor of offshore drilling point to its potential economic impacts on the state, as well as American energy independence. They also say seismic testing is necessary because the previous tests happened decades ago and were sometimes extremely rudimentary in nature.

NOAA Marine Fisheries is accepting comments about seismic testing's impact on marine mammals until July 21, while the Department of the Interior is accepting comments about revision to its five-year offshore oil and natural gas plan until mid-August.

Forte, who will be one of several speakers at a Monday rally against offshore drilling and seismic testing, has emerged as the likely deciding vote in overturning Brunswick's ordinance. He said he will mostly be at the event to learn, but will likely pursue a new resolution on the matter shortly after.

"I'm gonna bring it up one way or the other," Forte said. I'm gonna bring up canceling that resolution or a whole new resolution. I just don't know how to do it yet."

A new resolution, Forte said, could come before the Brunswick board as soon as August.

Commissioner Pat Sykes, who serves on the Brunswick board with Forte, said she's hesitant to revisit the issue.

"It might not even happen here. I just don't see causing a stir when there's nothing there," she said, adding, "I just am not one to get involved unless I need to. It's not an issue for the county at this point."

Sturgill, the Oceana organizer, said he'd like to see coastal governments like Brunswick and Carteret reverse course.

"They represent coastal areas of North Carolina that are staunchly opposed to seismic, opposed to oil and gas drilling," Sturgill said, "and I think this message needs to go to these departments whether it be NOAA, BOEM, whatever, they need to know we're pretty much lockstep in opposition to this."

Reporter Adam Wagner can be reached at 910-343-2389 or Adam.Wagner@GateHouseMedia.com.

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Could Brunswick change course on offshore drilling? - The Daily News - Jacksonville Daily News