Coastal alert : ecosystems, energy, and offshore oil drilling

145 Pages·1990·28.019 MB·English

by  Dwight Holing

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COASTAL
ALERT

COASTAL
ALERT
Ecosystems, Energy, and
Offshore Oil DrlUing
Dwight Holing
Natural Resources Defense Council
and the
Central Coast Regional Studies Program
FOREWORD BY TED DANSON
American Oceans Campaign
ISLAND PRESS
Washington, D.C. • Covelo, California
©1990 Natural Resources Defense Council
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form or by any means without permission in writing from the
publisher: Island Press, Suite 300, 1718 Connecticut Avenue,
N.W., Washington, DC 20009.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission
to reprint material appearing in Appendix 3:
The Orlando Sentinel, for "Why We Don't Want Offshore Oil
Drilling," February 11, 1990.
Carteret County News, for "Public Hearings Can Stop Mobil,"
January 3, 1989, which appears under the heading Model Press
Advisory.
Rachel Heyman, for "Letter to the Editor: Cost of
Drilling," San Francisco Chronicle, March 7, 1990.
Ocean Sanctuary Coordinating Committee of Mendocino,
California, for "Letter to the Editor: Ocean Sanctuary,"
San Francisco Chronicle, January 25, 1990.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Holing, Dwight. Coastal alert: ecosystems, energy, and
offshore oil drilling I Dwight Holing.
p. em. - (Island Press critical issues series: #2)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-55963-050-7 (paper)
1. Oil well drilling, Submarine-Environmental aspects-
United States. 2. Energy development-Decision
making-Citizen participation. I. Title. II. Series
IDI95.P4H64 1990 90-41293
333.8'23214--dc20 CIP
®
Printed on recycled, acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Tbe sea does not belong to despots.
-Jules Verne
Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocea~roll!
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with rui~his control
Stops with the shore.
-Lord Byron

Contents
For.vord ........................................................................................................ xi
by Ted Danson
ll"11rac::&Jc:: SHIFnNG CURRENTS ...•.•.•.........•............•........•...•.••.•••................ xiii
Cl1a~Jiw 1 DOl, BIG OIL,. AND YOU •.•..••.•.•....•..•..•.•.•.•.•...••.••.•••.••.•.••.•.••..••....•.•. 1
How the Government Is Selling Our Coast to Big Oil
~ 2 DANGEROlJS CURRENTS .•..•.........•..•..•.....•...........•••..•..............•.•... 13
How Offshore Drilling Affects Ecology and the Quality ofL ife
Chapler 3 HOLES IN THE SEA ......................................................................... 39
How Offshore Oil and Gas Are Developed
Cl1apter-4 PEOPI.E POWER •••••••..•..••••••.•.•.••.•......••.••••••••••••••..••.....•.•.•..•••.•••.•..• 47
How Citizen Action Works in California
01afJIW
5 NEW' HORIZONS •.••.......••...••..•.•.•.•..............••...•...................•.•.•..... 67
How Energy Alternatives Can Replace Offshore Drilling
Appendix. A •..•.••••••••••••.•••••...••.••••.•.•••••••••••••...••.••.••••.•..•.•.•.•.••..••.....••.••....••.•. 83
The Lease Sale Process
Appendix:: B ......................•......•.•..•.....•..........•.........••.•.•..................•.•....•....... 90
Offshore Oil and Gas Development Regulations
c ....................................................................................................
Apperldix 94
Model Letters and Press Announcements
Appertdix: D ................................................................................................. 10 4.
Resources
Glossary ...................................................................................................... 10 7
Ref'ereiiCBS •...•••.•..........•.•.••.••..•..••...••.....•..••.•.••...•...•..........•.•.•...•.....•.•..•....•. 113
ll'ldex ··········································································································· 118
ix