Offshore drilling, according to Wikipedia, is a mechanical process in which a hole is drilled to explore oil and natural gas. Mobile offshore drilling units (MODU) are semisubmersible rigs that are used to extract the oil and natural gas from the rock formation that lies under the seabed. The rigs can operate in water as deep as 10,000 feet [1]. Even though offshore drilling has economic benefits, it carries considerable risk to the environment. Oil spills can be difficult and expensive to clean up as well as being detrimental to the aquatic health. A famous example of an offshore oil spill is Deepwater Horizon. In 2010, a rig operated by Transocean in the Gulf Mexico had an explosion killing 11 crewmen and spilling 200 million gallons of oil into the ocean [2].
The current Administration has proposed a plan to expand offshore drilling operations in the Atlantic Ocean. The five-year plan adds some states on the East coast, including North Carolina, to the exploration areas [3]. This plan has been opposed by most people in North Carolina including Gov. Roy Cooper. The Governor, in a statement, said: “Offshore drilling represents a critical threat to our coastal economy.” [3]. People have been rallying to protest offshore drilling. More than 500 people have attended a forum where they met federal officials to express their opposition to the plan [4]. Finally, people are convinced that the economic benefits of offshore drilling will not compensate for the environmental burden the project will bring [5].
- Offshore drilling. (2018, July 25). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offshore_drilling
- Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (2018, July 21). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill
- (2018, January 04). Trump moves to vastly expand offshore drilling off NC coast, elsewhere. Retrieved from https://www.wral.com/trump-moves-to-vastly-expand-offshore-drilling/17233661/
- Wagner, A. (2018, February 27). By the hundreds, North Carolinians attend offshore drilling event. Retrieved from http://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20180226/by-hundreds-north-carolinians-attend-offshore-drilling-event
- Doran, W. (n.d.). North Carolina won’t get another chance to speak on Trump’s offshore drilling plan. Retrieved from https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article202250419.html
- Offshore Drilling Rigs. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecgs-eg.com/?page_id=313