What's New
Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte, President Bush, Sen. John McCain and others are pushing Congress to undo the decades-old moratorium protecting the Atlantic Coast from offshore oil drilling. Environment
North Carolina opposes the legislation, which will do nothing to lower gas prices and threatens North Carolina's Outer Banks. Read the statement.
On May 13, the U.S. Senate rejected a "drill anywhere and everywhere"
amendment. The vote protects our sensitive coasts, oceans, Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge, Western open spaces and wildlife. Read the release.
How You Can Help
Call your member of Congress and ask them to oppose legislation opening up our coast to
harmful offshore oil and gas drilling.
Summary
Stretching
along 3,375 miles of coastline, North Carolina
is home to beautiful beaches, including the unique Outer banks. Home to the
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the 100 miles of barrier islands and unspoiled
beaches that make up the Outer Banks attract five million visitors each year.
More than twenty-five years ago, Congress, backed by North Carolina’s leaders, protected the Outer Banks from the dangers
of oil drilling. They enacted a moratorium prohibiting the expansion of
offshore drilling along the nation’s coasts.
But
today, powerful oil companies are pressuring Congress to lift the moratorium
that has long helped protect our barrier islands.
Offshore
drilling for oil and natural gas would be devastating to our prized islands. In
addition to threatening
dangerous oil spills, each offshore oil platform would release 214,000 pounds
of air pollutants annually. Drilling platforms also discharge hundreds of
thousands of gallons of wastewater containing such toxins as benzene, arsenic
and lead.
Furthermore, offshore oil and gas drilling would do
little to lower gas prices or make us more energy independent. That’s why Environment North Carolina is
asking Congress to oppose efforts to drill off of the state’s
Outer Banks, and to support clean fuels and efficiency standards instead.
