I am spending this week in Washington DC in response to the recent announcement by the Obama Administration that offshore oil deposits will be evaluated for exploration and production.
There has been (and will be) a series of public hearings in Houston, New Jersey and other eastern seaboard cities about his issue. Most of the public concern has been focused on oil spills – punctuated by the ongoing tragic “Deepwater Horizon” disaster, as well as on the acoustical impacts of seismic airgun surveys on marine animals.
While I am also concerned about these issues, I have been speaking with agencies and legislators about the additional acoustical impacts of fossil fuel exploration and production: Engine and propeller noise from thrusters used to stabilize drilling platforms (such as the Deepwater Horizon), extreme cavitation mechanical noise from seafloor extraction processing equipment, and the acoustical smog from all of the acoustical communication signals used in managing the autonomous and remote control equipment required for deepwater offshore operations.
I am encouraged that without exception everyone I am meeting with is open to input and concerned about the implications of offshore oilfield development. This is a significant shift from a few years back when our nation was being run by oilmen.
I can not predict the final outcome of this offshore oil gambit, but I do feel that our concerns about the bio-acoustic health of the ocean are being heard and will be included in the deliberations.
None too soon…