More officials speak out against offshore drilling and seismic testing in the Atlantic – Myhorrynews

On April 28, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that overturned restrictions on and could potentially expand offshore drilling and seismic testing in several bodies of water in the U.S. including middle and southern parts of the Atlantic Ocean.

S.C. officials including Governor Henry McMasters and U.S. House Representatives Mark Sanford, Tom Rice, and Jim Clyburn have all taken stances opposing drilling on the states coast.

On Saturday, at a press conference in Plyler Park in Myrtle Beach organized by local activist groups Stop Offshore Drilling in the Atlantic (SODA) and the Surfrider Foundation, local officials spoke out against the potential dangers of drilling and seismic testing for oil and gas on the S.C. coast.

Previously, Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley, and mayor of the City of Georgetown Jack Scoville spoke out against the Trump administrations decision at a similar conference, all agreeing offshore drilling and seismic testing could severely damage the coastal economy.

Myrtle Beach city councilman Wayne Gray echoed their sentiments, reminding attendees of the resolution the city passed a few years ago that opposed offshore drilling and seismic testing along the coast of the state.

I think that all of our council members realize and understand the importance of the tourism economy one in ten jobs [in S.C.] are either directly or indirectly related or associated with tourism, he said.

Over a billion dollars of federal, local, and state taxes are collected via the tourism industry that pays for our schools, our roads, and our quality of lifeso any loss to that tourism economy would be devastating and impactful for South Carolina.

Gray also stated that the tourism industry, proportionally, was even more vital to the S.C. economy than to the economy of other states including California, Virginia, and Florida, adding that he and other officials would continue discussing the issue with state and federal legislators.

Surfside Beach town councilwoman Julie Samples agreed with Grays remarks, adding that a cataclysmic event such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 could be devastating for the Grand Strand.

Simple factexploratory and commercial drilling, extraction, and transportation of offshore oil and gas resources poses significant risk of a spill, she said.

We need to be good stewards of our coastal environment and its resources, not only because of the economic and ecological impact on our area, but because we have a responsibility to the many people who call this place home.

Directly following the press conference, dozens of attendees and tourists united in joining hands on the beach near the Skywheel as an act of protest. The event, dubbed Hands Across the Sand was one of hundreds of synchronized events held across the globe to raise awareness concerning the dangers from offshore blasting and drilling for oil and gas.

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More officials speak out against offshore drilling and seismic testing in the Atlantic - Myhorrynews