Hundreds attend meeting on drilling off the Carolinas

February 17, 2015

PilotOnline.com

An Obama administration proposal to allow offshore oil and gas exploration drew hundreds of people to North Carolina's coast (Wrightsville Beach) Tuesday for two meetings: one where federal officials gathered comments, and another where drilling critics rallied to voice their opposition.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management was taking comments on a proposal that could open tracts off the Carolinas to gas and oil exploration later this decade. The agency will use the comments in developing the areas to be included in environmental studies.

It wasn't a public hearing where people speak at a microphone giving their views, but an information session where people talked to agency officials, learned about what is proposed and then left either written comments or enter comments on a computer.

Almost 400 people signed in. Previous meetings in Washington, D.C., and Norfolk, Va., attracted only 240 combined.

Bobby Greer, the North Carolina state chairman of a group called Vets4Energy, said "energy security equates with national security. I think we can do all of this safely and I think we should."

Read entire article. 

 

<- Go Back

Give Us Your Thoughts