NASA Earth Observatory - Oil spill in the Gulf
/ NASA
Since President Barack Obama lifted the ban on offshore drilling, there's a chance that oil production could happen off the Grand Strand. That brings with it the possibility of spills like the one in the gulf.
Wednesday was a beautiful day for a stroll on the beach. Beachgoers we found doing just that say, it's hard to imagine the Grand Strand coastline covered in oil. Tonya Jiskra from Howell, Michigan said, oil companies should look elsewhere to drill. "There are lots of places that are uninhabited that if something happens it won't be quite as catastrophic as in an area where you rely on tourism and stuff for your stability."
Paul Gayes, a marine science professor at Coastal Carolina University, says the oil industry has improved its record on avoiding major spills, but there's always the potential wherever oil is produced. He says a spill along the Grand Strand would have a significant impact on shore birds and wildlife. "Other kinds of sea life that have to contend with those contaminants both in terms of the actual physical attachment to the organisms as well as potential chemical effects in changes of the system."
State Representative Thad Viers, (R) Horry County, says his view is, "Drill, baby, drill." He says if the U.S. doesn't tap into our natural resources, we'll always be dependant on oil from people who don't like us.
Dr. Gayes says there's no magic bullet on energy issues. Everything comes with an environmental impact. "So it's really important for society to weigh its options and to figure out which impacts are the most manageable."
Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, says they would be in favor of natural gas drilling but would oppose oil rigs off the coast.
Dean says whatever the state would gain from drilling rights wouldn't be worth the risk to tourism.
A state senate subcommittee is considering a bill directing the state's environmental agency to speed up the process for reviewing offshore drilling applications.
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