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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-01-14 19-079 Resolve 01/14/201919-079 01/14/2019 19-079 Legal Resolve N/A Title, Resolve Opposing Seismic Blasting and Oil and Gas Drilling off the Coast of Maine This Resolve states the City of Bangor's opposition to seismic blasting and offshore drilling for oil and gas off the coast of Maine. By Presidential Executive Order, the Secretary of the Interior has been directed to consider revising the schedule of proposed oil and gas lease sales in the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program which had previously excluded the Atlantic Coast of the United States. As a result there is now a draft proposed 2019-2024 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program which includes the Atlantic Coast of Maine. Offshore oil and gas drilling exploration includes the use of seismic airguns which fire blasts of compressed air that can be repeated every 10-12 seconds for days, weeks, or months at a time. The sound of the seismic blasts have been indicated to rank just behind the military explosives as the loudest source of noise in the ocean. Protection of the ocean off Maine to ensure the environmental and economic health of the State of Maine and it's coastal communities remains vital. Studies have shown that seismic blasting can have significant negative impact on fish, shellfish, whales, and sea turtles. Tourism in much of Maine is dependent upon the ocean and sea life and seismic blasting and subsequent oil and gas drilling poses a potentially significant risk to the ocean and and sea life off Maine's coast and to Maine's tourism industry; and There is bipartisan opposition to revising the schedule of proposed oil and gas lease sales in the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Government Operations Committee Recommend for passage 41 New Business 01/14/201919-079 CITY OF BANGOR RESOLVE 01/14/2019 19-079 Davitt Opposing Seismic Blasting and Oil and Gas Drilling off the Coast of Maine WHEREAS, the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program excluded the Atlantic Coast of the United States; and WHEREAS, by Presidential Executive Order, the Secretary of the Interior has been directed to consider revising the schedule of proposed oil and gas lease sales in the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program; and WHEREAS, protection of the ocean off the coast of Maine is necessary to ensure the environmental and economic health of the State of Maine and it's coastal communities remains vital; and WHEREAS, offshore oil and gas drilling exploration includes the use of seismic airguns which fire blast of compressed air that can be repeated every 10-12 seconds for days, weeks, or months at a time; and WHEREAS, the noise created by seismic airguns is said to rank just behind the military explosives as the loudest source of noise in the ocean; and WHEREAS, studies have shown that seismic blasting can have significant negative impact on fish, shellfish, whales, and sea turtles; and WHEREAS, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental enforcement, a federal agency that regulates offshore drilling, there have been more than 2,400 spills from platforms and rigs on the Outer Continental Shelf resulting in about 2 billion gallons spilled into the oceans; and WHEREAS, such spills can be damaging to the affected State's economy as seen by the 2018 BP Deepwater Horizon spill's negative impact on all the states affected by the spill, not just the coastal communities; and WHEREAS, tourism in much of Maine is dependent upon the ocean and sea life and seismic blasting and subsequent oil and gas drilling poses a potentially significant risk to the ocean and and sea life off Maine's coast and to Maine's tourism industry; and WHEREAS, there is bipartisan opposition to revising the schedule of proposed oil and gas lease sales in the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program; and 19-079 JANUARY 14, 2019 WHEREAS, recently the Trump administration has authorized five companies to search for oil and gas in the Atlantic Ocean using seismic blasting. WHEREAS, Permits must first be obtained from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Bangor that, the Bangor City Council opposes any plan or legislation that would open the coast of Maine to seismic blasting or offshore drilling for gas or oil; and Be it Further Resolved that, the Bangor City Council requests that the offshore acres along the Maine coast be excluded from the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program; and Be It Further Resolved that This resolution be sent to following: Donald Trump, President of the United States; David Bernhardt, Department of Interior Secretary; Kelly Hammerele, Branch Chief of the National Oil and Gas Leasing Program Development; Mitch McConnell, President of the United States Senate; Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; Susan Collins, US Senate; Angus King, US Senate; Jared Golden, US House of Representatives; Chellie Pingree, US House of Representatives; Janet Mills, Governor of Maine; and Aaron Frey, Attorney General of Maine,. PAGE 2 IN CITY COUNCIL JANUARY 14, 2019 CR 19-079 MOTION MADE AND SECONDED FOR PASSAGE MOTION DOUBTED VOTE: 7-2 COUNCILORS VOTING YES: DAVITT, GRAHAM, SCHAEFER, SPRAGUE, SUPICA, TREMBLE, NICHOLS COUNCILORS VOTING NO: NEALLEY, WESTON PASSED �� G2 E - CITY CLERK