Speak out against seismic airgun testing

The Trump administration is taking steps to allow energy companies to use seismic airguns for oil and gas exploration off the U.S. Atlantic coast from the Delaware Bay to Florida, which obviously includes our waters in the Lowcountry.

The oil and gas industry hopes that the survey data will identify new potential drilling sites.

Groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council have publicly expressed concerns about the adverse impact on marine mammals exposed to the loud sounds, which they said could injure or even kill marine life. For whales and dolphins, it is potentially a life-or-death matter, since they rely on their hearing to find food, communicate and reproduce.

The seismic airgun testing proposal by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which was scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on June 27, will open for public comment in July.

If you agree that it makes no sense to risk our marine environment and potentially our beaches, take the time now to voice your concerns to prevent this seismic airgun testing from being approved.

This story was originally published June 28, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Speak out against seismic airgun testing."