newjerseynewsroom.com

BY JOE TYRRELL

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

It may already be a done deal, but New Jersey officials have joined citizens in opposing a federal plan for seismic tests in support of expanded oil and gas drilling off the East Coast.

At the first of two hearings at the Sheraton Airport Hilton, the federal Minerals Management Service heard almost no one speak in support of the plan, which critics said would threaten fisheries and beaches without producing much energy.

The Interior Department agency is holding hearings in coastal cities in the wake of last month's announcement by President Barack Obama, who opened waters along much of the East Coast, northern Alaska and eastern Gulf of Mexico to drilling.

Hearing officer Gary Goeke, chief of environmental assessment in the service's New Orleans office, pointed out the administration published notice of the underlying program on Jan. 2, 2009, Obama's second day in office.

But news can overtake the most fast-tracked policy plans, and the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico dominated the hearing. An April 21 explosion and fire sank an oil rig leased to BP, leaving 11 workers missing and presumed dead and sending 42,000 gallons of crude oil a day into the gulf.

The Coast Guard estimated the reported the resulting slick to be 600 miles in circumference and 20 miles from landfall as of 5 p.m. April 27.

Many opponents came intending to speak about potentially harmful affects from the noisy seismic tests on marine mammals and fish. Emitting repetitive signals from air-gun arrays pulled by boats, seismic contractors chart the sound bouncing off the sea floor, or below, to determine likely spots for drilling.

Even without subsequent drilling, the surveys "would blast high-intensity sound into the water every few seconds for months on end," disrupting the environments, communications and breeding of whales and other species, said Doug O'Malley, field director of Environment New Jersey.

But even those prepared to defend marine life and businesses turned their attention to the damage to the state's economy and environment if a disaster similar to that in the Gulf occurred off the nearby coast.

"The only oil we want on our beaches is Coppertone," said Jeff Tittel, executive director of the state chapter of the Sierra Club.

"Those who used to chant 'drill baby drill' have been conspicuously silent" as the spill has grown to "an area the size of Rhode Island," said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.) in a statement presented a the hearing.

Instead of following the Hippocratic oath, "first do no harm," the industry and government are using "the whoops principle," said Diana Beeny of Westfield. "Whoops, we shouldn't have done that."

"Why is this being considered?" asked Mara Chaiken of Palmyra, adding the relatively small amount of fuel that might eventually be found "can't be as important as the damage that would be done" to the environment.

Even some in the utility business have switched sides. Robert Shinn, a former top executive of Exelon and PECO Energy, said his position "has changed over the years."

If the MMS officials were "allowed to do an intellectually honest environmental impact statement" as a prelude to drilling, it would include simulating a spill of the magnitude of the one in the gulf, he said.

Representing Gov. Chris Christie, Nancy Wittenberg said the state is maintaining its policy of unwavering opposition to offshore drilling in the region. The MMS should consider energy alternatives, said Wittenberg, an assistant commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.

Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez (both D-NJ) also issued statements calling for the plan to be withdrawn. Menendez asked why taxpayers should pay for seismic studies to benefit the oil industry.

Obama ended a longstanding moratorium on oil exploration along the East Coast from the northern tip of Delaware to the central coast of Florida, some 167 million acres of ocean. The areas are part of the Interior Department's Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic zones, while New Jersey is in the North Atlantic zone.

But opponents and the few industry advocates who turned out agreed there could be effects on New Jersey, whether beneficial or harmful. They noted the North Atlantic zone has not been dropped from future consideration.

Representing the International Association of Geophysical Contractors, Alistair Fenwick said his members have "a high level of interest" in working along the East Coast.

"The seismic survey area should be expanded to include the North Atlantic... to Nova Scotia," he said.

James Benton, executive director of the New Jersey Petroleum Council, pointed out the industry "has a long history of working with the Department of the Interior to develop this country's natural resources."

He estimated there is the equivalent of 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in untapped off-shore locations. He urged the MMS to "expedite" the process, "as there is a great deal of interest in surveying and eventually developing this area."

Joe Tyrrell may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it