Trump admin wants seismic surveys for drilling

*Trump admin wants seismic surveys for drilling*

*BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press*

WASHINGTON | The Trump administration is seeking permission to use seismic air guns to find oil and gas formations deep underneath the Atlantic Ocean floor, a reversal from the Obama administration that is outraging environmental groups and some East Coast lawmakers.

The National Marine Fisheries Service said Monday it is seeking permits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for five companies to use air guns for seismic surveys in the mid-Atlantic.

The air guns are so loud they can disturb, injure or even kill whales, sea turtles and other marine life. Environmental groups and many East Coast lawmakers oppose the surveys, complaining air-gun noise can also harm commercial fishing and tourism.

The oil and gas industry has pushed for the surveys, which would map potential drilling sites from Delaware to central Florida. No surveys have been conducted in the region for at least 30 years.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April aimed at expanding drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, part of his promise to unleash the nations energy reserves in an effort to reduce imports of foreign oil.

Under Trumps order, the Interior Department is reviewing applications by five energy companies rejected by the Obama administration.

In addition to providing data on potential sites for offshore oil and natural gas production, seismic surveys are also used to locate sites for offshore wind structures, pinpoint potential seafloor hazards, and locate sand and gravel resources for beach restoration.

Data from seismic surveys also assists officials in determining fair market value of offshore resources.

More than 125 East Coast cities and towns, a range of commercial and recreational fishing groups and an alliance representing 40,000 businesses have publicly opposed air-gun blasting.

“Seismic air guns create one of the loudest man-made sounds in the ocean, said Ingrid Biedron, a marine scientist at the environmental group Oceana. The air guns fire intense blasts of compressed air every 10 to 12 seconds, 24 hours a day, for weeks to months on end, she said.

Industry groups counter seismic surveys have been conducted in the U.S. and around the world for decades, with little adverse impacts.

The fisheries service said at a news conference that air-gun operations would include measures to monitor and mitigate any harm to marine mammals, including a requirement observers aboard all vessels alert operators if a protected species comes within a certain distance, acoustic monitoring to detect marine mammals beneath the ocean surface, and required shutdowns when sensitive species are observed.