To the dismay of many, the Obama Administration last week announced the opening of offshore drilling. Yeah, sure...it protects areas shrubCo had opened up, but it's offshore drilling? Whiskey tango foxtrot?
My take at the time was that this is all just ninja politics; nothing will happen until the environmental impact studies are conducted, which will take a few years. In the meantime, the GOP continues to cement its reputation as the party of NO; even when they get what they ostensibly want, it's not enough they say. They're robbed of a talking point and forced even further to the fringe.
More importantly, I don't think anything will ever come of it. As a Texan who grew up playing in the Gulf of Mexico, I must say: having to wipe tar off your feet with baby oil after a day at the beach rather sucks. I really can't see any of the states affected actually opting for offshore drilling, especially if it is true that both the governor and legislature would have to approve.
Well, sure enough, the NIMBY review is filing in. The round-up to date is below the fold. Let's just start at the Southern end and work our way up the Atlantic seaboard. First up is Georgia, where no one is even sure what kind of reserves are in play.
The potential hunt for black gold off Georgia’s coast has raised red warning flags among some of the state’s tourism and environmental leaders.
...But even the potential for oil rigs, transfer stations or production facilities near the fragile, marsh-lined Georgia shoreline and its multibillion-dollar tourist industry is making some coastal residents shudder.
...David Egan, co-director of the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island, said there is too much at risk to permit drilling offshore when delicate ecosystems hang in the balance.
"We have too many examples where those safeguards have not held up," Egan said. "It only takes one disaster. I don’t know how our tourism and fisheries economy would survive a catastrophic spill."
I haven't figured out why, but some folks seem to think Virginia will be the first state to actually go there; maybe it's because Webb and Warner are both supportive. NASA and the Navy? Not so much. Moving on to the next state to weigh in, the people of Maryland are having none of it:
Democratic Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski issued a joint statement voicing their opposition to expanded drilling off the East Coast. In an interview, Cardin said oil spills could have a devastating impact on the state's fisheries, tourism in Ocean City and the health of the Chesapeake Bay
...Gov. Martin O'Malley, who was present at Obama's announcement, has opposed oil and gas exploration off Maryland's coast, though he's joined with other Mid-Atlantic governors in pushing for offshore wind turbines.
To their north we have Delaware and New Jersey, both of which are less-than-enthusiastic. New Jersey isn't even one of the states affected by the law, but we all know it will be affected should any drilling actually occur.
Environmental groups of every stripe and New Jersey officials from both parties voiced strong opposition Wednesday to President Obama's plan to expand oil and gas drilling on the outer continental shelf.
Although no drilling would be allowed from New Jersey north, areas from Delaware south could be developed. New Jersey's beaches - and its hefty tourism economy - could be ruined by pollution from a spill or other accident in the Mid-Atlantic region, they said.
...U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D., N.J.) has sponsored a bill that would ban drilling from Virginia to Maine.
If you've found something from other states, please share. Near as I can tell, the remaining states in question have questionable development potential -- nobody really knows if it's worth exploring and/or drilling. In any event, we have until 2014 or so before this is a real issue. In the meantime, grab your popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the implosion of the GOP and the death of "Drill, Baby, Drill!"