Issue: On January 4th the Trump administration announced a new plan to allow exploration for oil and natural gas in waters off every coastal state, including South Carolina. SIAN is joining other Lowcountry organizations and communities to stop the new plan.
Actions:
- Contact Governor McMaster and our MOCs: While SIAN members are encouraged to submit comments to the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM), the fate of the new plan will be decided in the courts or by Congress. Therefore, it is more important that you contact Governor McMaster and our members of Congress and urge them to take the necessary measures to prohibit oil industry activities off our coast. The SIAN website provides contact information for our elected officials here.
Talking Points: Your comments to our elected officials should focus on why you object to the government’s proposed plans. Here are some points to consider for your comments:
- The environmental risk is too great, especially since the Trump administration, at the request of the oil industry, recently weakened safety regulations put in place after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Oil industry infrastructure would be out of place along our coast and would seriously damage our regional economy, especially tourism and fishing.
- Every coastal community in South Carolina is on record in opposition to including waters off our coast in the oil and gas program. The administration should abide by the unanimous wishes of the state’s local communities that would be directly affected.
- The U.S. exports millions of gallons of crude oil a day and does not need the small amount of oil or gas that may be found off the mid and south Atlantic.
- South Carolina is aggressively pursuing renewable energy sources, including wind and solar. The administration should stop propping up the fossil fuel industry and should support the development of more diverse, sustainable, and environmentally safe energy.
2. Submit Comments to BOEM: The public is allowed to comment on the proposed offshore oil and gas plan until March 8. Procedures and guidelines for submitting comments online or in writing can be found here.
3. Attend the South Carolina state meeting: BOEM is holding one public meeting on their plan in every coastal state. The South Carolina meeting will be in Columbia on February 13. Meeting details are on the BOEM website.
Background: At the end of his term, President Obama removed Atlantic waters from plans for offshore oil and gas exploration. President Trump is starting a new, more ambitious plan that would include South Carolina coastal waters. BOEM provides more information about the program here.
SIAN Contact Name: Dick Wildermann
SIAN Contact Email: seaislandsactionnetwork@gmail.com
Sea Islands Action Network 