Rutherford, others sign letter opposing seismic testing offshore – St. Augustine Record

The same day that President Donald Trump touted new energy policies during a speech at the U.S. Department of Energy that he said were part of a golden era of American energy, Rep. John Rutherfords office released a letter signed by him more and than 100 other members of Congress that voiced opposition to the use of a controversial oil and gas exploration technique off the Atlantic Coast.

We are writing in strong opposition to your recent secretarial order to move forward with offshore oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean, the letter, signed by members of both parties and addressed to Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, began.

Offshore oil and gas exploration, the first step of which is seismic airgun testing, puts at risk coastal economies based on fishing, tourism, and recreation, it said before asking Zinke not to issue any permits for the surveys.

Rutherford, a Republican, represents Floridas 4th District which includes parts of Nassau, Duval and St. Johns counties. Republican Ron DeSantis, who represents the southern portion of St. Johns County, also signed the letter.

Seismic airgun testing is used to map potential drilling sites, but many say the airguns, which blast intense pulses of compressed air at the ocean floor, are so loud they can disturb or injure endangered right whales and other marine mammals and increase the risk of calves being separated from their mothers.

Rutherford had voiced opposition to the testing earlier this month when the Trump administration, through the National Marine Fisheries Service, made its first move toward oil exploration by requesting permits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for five companies to use airguns for seismic surveys in the mid-Atlantic, from Delaware to Central Florida.

Rutherfords office released a brief statement at the time saying that he was working to build a coalition in Congress opposed to opening up the Atlantic to drilling activities and share with the administration how offshore oil and gas exploration threatens our coastal economies based on fishing businesses, restaurants, and the visitors that flock to Northeast Florida.

The letter dated June 28, but released Thursday said that those who signed have heard from countless business owners, elected officials and residents along our coasts who recognize and reject the risks of offshore oil and gas development.

The Interior Department, though, is rewriting a five-year drilling plan established by the Obama administration, with an eye toward opening areas in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans that now are off-limits to drilling. Its one of six initiatives that the president unveiled Thursday in hopes of generating more energy exports and jobs.

Trump and other officials say they are confident the country can pave the path toward energy dominance by exporting oil, gas and coal to markets around the world, and promoting nuclear energy and even renewables such as wind and solar power.

Zinke says increased offshore drilling could provide more than enough revenue to offset an $11.5 billion maintenance backlog in national parks.

Theres a consequence when you put 94 percent of our offshore off limits, Zinke said in a speech this week. Theres a consequence of not harvesting trees. Theres a consequence of not using some of our public lands for creation of wealth and jobs.

Oceana, an environmental group that has been at the forefront of the opposition to seismic testing, issued a news release Thursday about the letter.

In it, Oceana campaign director Nancy Pyne praised Rutherford and Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginias 8th District who helped form the coalition of lawmakers that signed the letter.

Reps. Rutherford and Beyer should be applauded for their leadership in working to protect the Atlantic from loud and dangerous seismic airgun blasting, she said.

The groundswell of opposition to these dirty and dangerous activities continues to grow every day, she continued. Currently, 126 East Coast municipalities, more than 1,200 local, state and federal officials, and an alliance representing over 41,000 businesses and 500,200 fishing families from Florida to Maine, publicly oppose seismic airgun blasting and/or offshore drilling. The risk to marine life, coastal communities and economies is just too great.

This story contains reporting from The Associated Press.

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Rutherford, others sign letter opposing seismic testing offshore - St. Augustine Record