Agenda Item 8F - Seismic Blasting in Atlantic OceanBartle, Donn a
From:
Se nt:
T o :
Subjec t :
Greetings ocean warriors !
Pyne, Nancy [npyne@ocea na .org)
Thursday, August 14, 2014 5:53PM
Mark, Maria
Next Steps!
AGENDA ITEM t1 SF
SEPTEMB ER 8, 201 4
By now I'm su re you al l know that t he Obama administration has gree n-lighted seism ic blasting in the Atl antic, and t hat
t hey are also accept ing comments on BOEM's 5 yea r p lan f or offs hore o il & gas drillin g o n t he outer con tinental she lf
until tomorrow.
Wh i le t h is news is certain ly disappointing, it's not unexpected. We've all succee ded in del ayi ng th e seism ic decisi on for
two years-a v ictory i n and of itself. But now t he f ight is shifting, an d we'll have to f igh t each ind ividua l a pplication at
t he permit leve l. And t hat's wher e our orga n iz ations a nd activists come in.
We're redoub ling our efforts to get Governo r s and local officia ls to oppose seismic b lasting off THEIR state's coasts. The
t heo ry being if eno ugh coastal commu nities oppose t his, we can stop seism ic b lasting on a case by case bas is, while
buil ding the momentum we'll need to pr event t he At lantic f rom being i ncluded in BOE M 's next Syr pla n. {So far 19
t owns have passed resolutions op posing/voicing concern with seismic ai rguns and one more has come out strong
aga inst offshore dri lling.)
My col leag ues w ill be r eaching o u t to yo u abou t im med i ate next steps. Thank you so much for all your wor k so far! Thi s
Is a big fight. Let's w i n it.
For the oceans,
Nancy
Na n cy Pyne
Grassroots Manager, Climate and Ener gy Campaign
ocEANA 1 Protecting the World 's Oceans
1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, 5th Floor 1 Washington , D.C ., 20036 USA
D +1.202.4 67.19031 C +1.202.486.6406
E npyne@oceana .org IW hltp:lloceana.org
Facebook http:/fW\NW.facebook,com/OoeanaGrea terOC
** Ch eck ou t our ne w film "Drill, Spill, Rep ea t?" View the video trailer h ere and the [u/1-/enqth film here. Or l e t m e
know if you'd lil<e a DVDI
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RESOLUTION NO. 2014-08
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA, OPPOSING SEISMIC AIRGUN
TESTING IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN; PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
AG~N DA lTI!.:M #SF
SE P'l'EMB E R 8, 2014
WHEREAS, the City of Cocoa Beach endeavors to be a good steward of the coastal
environment and its resources, and
WHEREAS, seismic airgun testing is being proposed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Managemen t (BOEM) for th e exploration of oil and natural gas off the mid -Atlantic coast; and
WHEREAS, tourism is a major economic forc e in th e City of Cocoa Beach and offshore
drilling poses a major threat to our coastal eco nomy and natural resources and, should a spill occur,
the natura l environment that supports our lo cal economy would be severely damaged and the quality
of life that both residents and visitors have come to expect would be negative ly affected for the
foreseeable future; and
WHEREAS, and the State of Flo rida has a long history of hurricanes and offshore drilling
would increase the chances of platform failures a nd oil spills due to the vulnerability of the coastal
waters to severe weather, and
WHEREAS, the use of airgu ns to conduct these seismic te sts threatens fish populations and
profitable fisheries; and
WHEREAS, the type of seismic airgun testing used to search for oil and gas is in credibly
harmful and could injure or possibly kill thousands of marine mammals, sea turtles and fi sh including
the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale whose population stands at 500 individuals in the
e ntire world, and
WHEREAS, the seismic airgun s fire intense blasts of compressed ai r -almost as loud as
explosives every 10-12 seconds twenty-fou r hours a day for days to weeks on end. These loud airgun
blasts can be heard for many hund reds of miles in the ocean and can drive whales to abandon their
.hab itats, go silent and cease foraging over vast areas. At shorter distances, airguns can cause
permanent hearing loss, injury and eve n death for whales, dolphins, sea turtles and fish; and
WHEREAS, the proposed seismic airgun testing will result in seri o us negative impact to our
marine resources, which form th e foundation of economic vitality f or communities all along the
Atlantic Coast.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF COCOA
BEACH; BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, opposes seismic airgun testin g and urges the President's
Administration to stop this process and focus on ensu ring the vitality of vulnerable local economies along the
Atlantic Coast as we cannot continue to put our ocean, env ironment , beaches, marine resources and local
economies at risk.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resol ution be forward ed to Pre sident Obama.
Upon Motion by Commissioner mo.. I i K and Seconded by Commissioner -ruMu. \~
this Resolution w~s duly adopted at a Regular Meeting of the City Commission of th e City of Cocoa Beach]=orida,
held on the 'b <O · day of . Ape i \ , 2014 .
1
v
David Netterstrom, Mayor-Commissio
46 City Clerk
NO. 2014-165
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA CITY COUNCIL
OPPOSING SEISMIC AIR-GUN TESTING IN
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE EASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO; AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
AGENDA ITEM# SF
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
WHEREAS, President Obama's Administration is currently considering a
proposal to allow seismic air-gun testing in the Atlantic Ocean to search for oil and gas; and
WHEREAS, the use of air guns to conduct these seismic tests threatens fish
populations and profitable fisheries; and
WHEREAS, the type of seismic air-gun testing used to search for oil and gas is
incredibly harmful and could injure or possibly kill thousands of marine mammals and fish
including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale; and
WHEREAS, the seismic air-guns fire intense blasts of compressed air -almost as
loud as explosives every 1-12 seconds twenty-four hours a day for days to weeks on end. These
loud air-gun blasts can be heard for many hundreds of miles in the ocean and can drive whales to
abandon their habitats, go silent and cease foraging over vast areas. At shorter distances, air-
guns can cause permanent hearing loss, injury and even death for whales, dolphins and fish; and
WHEREAS, the proposed seismic air-gun testing will result in serious negative
impact to our marine resources which form the foundation of economic vitality for communities
all along the Atlantic Coast; and
WHEREAS, although the City of St Petersburg is located on the Gulf Coast of
western Florida, the economic vitality of communities on the Atlantic Coast affects the economic
vitality of Florida and all of its cities, and there exists the possibility that this activity could later
move into the eastern Gulf of Mexico which would directly negatively impact the City and its
citizens.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of St.
Petersburg, Florida urges the President's Administration to stop this process and focus on
ensuring the vitality of vulnerable local economies along the Atlantic Coast and the eastern Gulf
of Mexico because we cannot continue to put our ocean environment, beaches, marine resources
and local economies at risk.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk shall transmit a certified copy of
this resolution to President Obama.
20 14-I 65
Page 2
Thi s resolution shall become effective im111ediatcly upon its adoption.
Adopted by St. Petersburg City Council on seco
day of April , 20 14.
AGENDA ITEM II 817
SE PTEM BER 8, 2014
City of Cape Canaveral
City Council Agenda Form
City Council Meeting Date: 04/15/2014
Item No. ~
AGENDA ITEM# 811
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
Subject: Resolution No. 2014-15; opposing Seismic Airgun Testing in the Atlantic
Ocean; providing for the repeal of prior inconsistent resolutions; severability: and an
effective date.
De artment: Administrative Services
Summary: In December 2009, the City of Cape Canaveral City Council passed a
resolution opposing a bill to allow for offshore drilling in the State of Florida (see
Attachment 1 ).
As reported by Florida Today and other media outlets recently, Federal regulators plan
to allow seismic airguns that emit dynamite-like underwater blasts to survey for oil and
gas deep beneath the ocean floor, from Cape Canaveral to Delaware. Conservation
groups fear the tests, which are 100,000 times more intense than a jet engine. will kill or
harm thousands of dolphins, whales and other marine life. (see Attachment 2)
According to Wikipedla, reflection seismology Is a method of exploration geophysics
that uses the principles of seismology to estimate the properties of the Earth's
subsurface from reflected seismic waves (waves of energy that travel through the
Earth's layers). The method requires a controlled seismic source of energy, such as
dynamite or a specialized airgun. Attachment 3 illustrates how seismic airgun testing
works and its impacts.
Resolution No. 2014-15 (Attachment 4) Is submitted for Council consideration . The City
of Cocoa Beach Commission passed a similar resolution on Thursday, April 3, 2013 to
oppose seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic Ocean in order to find oil and gas deposits.
Date: 04/4/2014
) Articles ; (3) Illustration; {4)
Financial Impact: Staff t ime to prepare item.
Reviewed b Finance Director: John Deleo Date:
The City Manager recommends that City Coun
Adopt Resolution No. 2014-14.
ake the following
er: David L. Gree ne~ Date:
) Approved as Recommended [ ] Dlsapprovea
] Approved with Modifications
Tabled to Time Certain
Attachment 1
RESOLUTION NO. 2009-48
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CAPE CANAVERAL, BREVARD
COUNTY, FLORIDA, OPPOSING A BILL TO ALLOW THE GOVERNOR
AND CABINET TO ALLOW FOR OFFSHORE DRILUNG IN THE STATE
OF FLORIDA; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
AGENDA ITEM # 8F
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
WHEREAS, the City of Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, Florida has made the
following detenninations:
1. The Florida House has begun debate on a bill to allow the Governor and
Cabinet to allow for offshore drilling off Florida's coast and end the 20-year drilling
moratorium.
2. This bill would allow the Governor and Cabinet (sitting as the Trustees of
the lntemallmprovement Trust Fund) to receive, review, and then accept or reject in the
Cabinet's sole discretion, proposals for exploration and production of oil and natural gas
in Florida's state waters.
3. Offshore drilling would threaten Florida's economy by bringing oil rigs 3
miles off Florida's coast, sanctioning drilling in the shallow waters of the Gulf, and
allowing unlimited pipelines to go through sensitive areas up to Florida beaches.
4. Offshore drilling creates an environmental threat to marine animals
whereby the sounds carry through the water for hundreds of miles and have been
known to cause pennanent hearing loss in marine mammals and also disrupts their
feeding, migration, social bonding, predator avoidance, and hav' ~n associated with
stranded whales.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City of Cape Canaveral, Brevard
County, Florida:
Section 1: The foregoing recitals contained in the preamble to this
Resolution are incorporated by reference herein.
Section 2: This City opposes offshore drilling in Florida.
Section 3: The City Clerk is hereby directed to send a copy of this
resolution to Governor Charlie Crist, the County's Legislative Delegation, the
Space Coast League of Cities and the Florida League of Cities.
Section 4: This Resolution shall take effect upon its adoption.
City of Cape Canave1111, Florida
Resolution No. 2009-48
Page2of2
AGENDA ITEM #SF
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
ADOPTED BY, the City of Cape Canaveral City Council this 15th day of December,
2009.
Approved as to Form:
Name
Robert Hoog
Buzz Petsos
Rocky Randels
For Against
X
KeU:eB Second
X
Seeeae Motion
Shannon Roberts ... ------
Betty Walsh X
Feds plan to OK oil, gas surveys Attachment 2 Page 1 of3
Feds plan to OK oil, gas surveys
AGENDA ITEM# 8F
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
Jim Waymer, Brevard 12:18 a.m . .t'STFebruar.v 28, 2014
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Federal regulators plan to allow seismic airguns that emit dynamite-like underwater blasts to survey for oil and
gas deep beneath the ocean floor, from Cape Canaveral to Delaware.
But conservation groups fear the tests-which are 100,000 times more intense than a jet engine -will kill or
harm thousands of dolphins, whales and other marine life.
"We don't need to tum the Atlantic into a blast zone," said Matthew Huelsenbeck, marine scientist at Oceana, a nonprofit group critical of the plan. "There
are other ways to go about seismic testing."
Between 1966 and 1988, the energy industry gathered two-dimensional surveys of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. But industry officials say new
technology could provide much improved three-dimensional surveys of potential oil and gas deposit areas.
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to allow seismic surveys from just south of Cape Canaveral to Delaware In federal
waters, from three to 350 nautical miles out to sea, an area about double the size of California. But the geological surveys and impacts could cross into
state waters closer to shore as well.
The study covers surveys proposed through 2020.
A 30-<lay review period for the bureau's study will close on April7.
Over the 94-<lay comment period on the draft environmental study, the federal agency received 55,295 comments.
Survey ships would tow arrays of the seismic airguns, which produce compressed air bubbles under extreme pressure to create sound.
Hydrophones towed near the surface record the sound that bounces back from the ocean bottom to reveal a 3-D image of bottom formations that may
hint at oil or gas deposits.
But any resutting hearing loss in whales and dolphins could harm the mammals' ability to navigate, feed and care for their young. The sounds also can
disturb breeding and feeding and inhibit marine mammals' ability to communicate with one another.
The bureau's report comes a week after more than 100 scientists called on the Obama administration to hold off on permitting the seismic surveys until
new acoustic guidelines for marine mammals currently being developed are complete.
The bureau's study found "negligible' or "minor' impacts to most species that would be affected by the seismic surveys.
But environmentalists' biggest concern is the North Atlantic right whale, the rarest large whale species, thought to number only about 500 individuals
globally.
The airguns can cause hearing loss and mask mating calls and other biologically important sound for whales, fish and other wildlife.
Most research revolves around sound impacts on marine mammals. The impacts on sea turtles are less clear. Sea turtles don't have ear drums or
external ears, bu1their auditory sense is adapted to vibrations in the water.
The federal environmental study includes several alternatives for ways to avoid harming whales, sea turtles and other wildlife. Proposals include closing
certain offshore areas to seismic surveying off Brevard County during the main sea turtle nesting season-May 1 to Oct. 31. Additional areas could be
off-limits for the sound surveying during right whale migration-Nov. 15to April15.
Oceana says that won't adequately protect the right whale's migratory corridor and nursery areas. They also say the feds failed to consider safer
attemative technologies, such as marine vibroseis, a quieter surveying method than seismic airguns with less impact on marine mammals.
http://www .floridatoday .com/story/news/local/20 14/02/28/feds-plan-to-ok-oil-gas-surveys-/5 8 85987/ 4/4/2014
Feds plan to OK oil, gas surveys Page 2 of3
In April, Oceana released a report citing federal estimates that the sonic blasts from the proposed seismic surveys could injure and possibly kill up to
136,500 dolphins and whales, and put thousands of tourism and fishing jobs at risk.
"Imagine a rocket being launched out of your living room every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, for days to weeks at a time," Huelsenbeck, the report's
author, said at the time. "You could go deaf or be forced to move. That's what it's like for sea life that is subjected to seismic testing, but unlike in people,
a deaf whale is a dead whale."
Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com Follow him on Twitter: @JWayEnviro
Oil off Brevard?
• For information and to comment on the study, visit:
boem.gov/oil-and-gas-energy-program/GOMR/GandG.aspx
• Read Oceana's report here: http://oceana.org/en/news-media/publications/reports/a-<feaf-whale-ls-a-<fead-whale-seismlc-airgun-testing-for-oil-and-gas-
threatens-marine-life-and-co
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'Airgun' Drilling In The Atlantic Wouldn't Find Much Oil, But Could Harm Wildlife 1 Thi... Page 1 of 4
t:LimSTBFf 'DGI BSEi
AGENDA ITEM# 8F
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
'Airgun' Drilling In The Atlantic Wouldn't Find Much Oil, But
Could Harm Wildlife
CREDIT: SHUTIERSTOCK
A long-awaited Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released Thursday by the Interior Department sets
the stage for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to start issuing permits for seismic exploration off
the Atlantic Coast in an effort to locate oil and gas reserves. The controversial process, which uses high-
pressure underwater seismic airgun blasts, has been opposed by a number of groups on grounds that it
causes undue and unreasonable harm to marine life. Last week more than 100 marine scientists and
conservation biologists sent a letter to President Obama and his administration urging them to "use the
best available science before permitting seismic surveys for offshore oil and gas in the mid-and south
Atlantic." The letter calls on the administration to wait on new acoustic guidelines for marine mammals,
which are currently in development by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
http:/ /thinkprogress.org/ c limate/20 14/02/2 8/3 34 200 1 /atlantic-drilling-seismic-exploration/ 4/4/2014
'Airgun' Drilling In The Atlantic Wouldn't Find Much Oil, But Could Harm Wildlife 1 Thi... Page 2 of 4
Tommy Beaudreau, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said that the Interior
Department's plan closes certain areas for the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale and nesting
habitat for sea turtles. "We're really going to require and demand a high level of environmental
performance," Beaudreau said.
According to Beaudreau, the current seismic information from the area is decades old and used now-
obsolete technologies-estimates from the 70s and 80s put the amount around a modest 3.3 billion
barrels of oil. Currently the Gulf of Mexico produces about 1,250,000 barrels of oil a day according to the
U.S. Energy Information Administration. At this rate the proven reserves off the Atlantic would be the
equivalent of just over seven years' of Gulf oil. The area under consideration stretches all the way from
Delaware to Florida and is twice the size of California.
The BOE M estimates from the 80s also put about 31.3 trillion cubic feet of gas off the East Coast. In 2012,
the U.S. produced just over 24,000,000 million cubic feet of natural gas-meaning the supply off the
East Coast is about what the rest of the country now produces in 15 months.
The EIS commences a five-year planning process that would open up the Atlantic to development. The
area is currently off-limits to oil and gas exploration until2017, but the next president could lift that
restriction. On Monday, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell met with the Outer Continental Shelf Governors
Coalition for the first time. "Republican Govs. Pat McCrory (N.c.), Phil Bryant (Miss.), Robert Bentley
(Ala.) and Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe (Va.) attended the meeting," reported The Hill. (/McAuliffe
told reporters he would join the all-Republican coalition-making him the first Democratic governor to
do so."
In September, Oceana, an ocean protection organization, delivered more than 100,000 petitions
opposing seismic airguns to Beaudreau. Around SO members of Congress, including some Republicans,
have also sent letters to the president opposing the seismic tests.
11With offshore drilling in the Atlantic at least five years away, shooting seismic airguns is an unnecessary
insult to marine life and coastal economies," Jacqueline Savitz, Vice President for U.S. Oceans at Oceana,
said in the statement. "Our message is simple; do not turn the Atlantic into a blast zone -Stop Seismic
Airguns. It is time for the Obama administration to stand up to Big Oil and say 'no' to seismic airgun
testing in the Atlantic."
Industry has submitted nine applications from oil and gas companies and seismic contractors, according
to Beaudreau.
http:/ /th inkprogress.org/cl imate/20 14/02/28/3342001 /atlantic-dril I i ng -seismic-exploration/ 4/4/2014
'Airgun' Drilling In The Atlantic Wouldn't Find Much Oil, But Could Harm Wildlife I Thi... Page 3 of 4
"Those applications propose literally hundreds of thousands of miles of seismic blasting," writes Michael
Jasny, Senior Policy Analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "And no doubt there are others
waiting in the wings:"
"Because of the enormous distances sound can travel in the ocean, the dangerous noise from
this activity cannot remotely be confined to the waters off individual states that encourage it.
Some impacts-particularly on the great baleen whales-would extend many hundreds of
miles, affecting states as far north as New England. Fish and fisheries could be affected for tens
of miles around every seismic ship."
Jasny sees airgun exploration as a gateway drug to offshore drilling-at an important juncture like this it
can be helpful to look backwards to see what might be coming down the pike.
Pockets of oil from the Exxon Valdez spill off the coast of Alaska 25 years ago can still be found among
coastal rocks, according to a report presented at the American Geophysical Union meeting on
Wednesday. The study aimed to find how long oil persists after a spill.
"To have oil there after 23 years is remarkable," Gail Irvine of the USGS's Alaska Science Center said. "We
have these marked boulders whose movement we've been studying for more than 18 years. The oil itself
has hardly weathered and is similar to 11-day-old oil."
The Exxon Valdez spill, at nearly 11 million gallons, was the largest in U.S. history until 2010's Deepwater
Horizon disaster dwarfed it, spewing over 200 million gallons into the Gulf of Mexico. If the proposed
seismic tests find significant oil reserves off the Atlantic coast, the region will be subject to similar risks.
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http://thinkprogress.org/cl imate/20 14/02/28/334 200 I /atlantic-drilling-seismic-exploration/ 4/4/2014
HOW IT WORKS
Seismic airgun testing is used to locate oil
and gas depos its dee p below the ocean floor.
\
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"
AGENDA ITEM# SF
SEPTE MBER 8 , 2014
Attachment 3
I
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I
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I
I
I
I
I
·~--· : .....
I
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A vesse l tows a seismic airgun, which
shoots extremely loud blasts of comp ressed
air through the ocean and miles under the
seafloor, every ten seconds, 24 hours a day,
for days to weeks on end.
. . .
AGENDA ITEM # 8F
SEPTEM BE R 8, 20 14
-.:.., .. -. -· ~ .....
-~~--·· .... , ~~-. ~~·~ -v' ---
Seismic airguns are so loud and constant that they can Injure
or disturb vital behaviors In ftsh, dolphins, whales and sea turtles.
PROPOSED AREA
Seismic airgun testing
Is being conside red from
Delaware to Florida, but Its
Impacts would be felt along
the entire East Coast.
IMPACTS TO MARINE MAMMALS
• Temporary and permanent hearing loss
• Abandonment of habitat
• Disruption of mating and feeding
• Beach stranding and death
IMPACTS TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
• Injury to 138,500 dolphins and whales
• Injury to nine critically endangered
North Atlantic right whales (only 361 left)
• Disruption of threate ned loggerhead sea turtle nesting
• Displacement of comme rcially valuable species and
decrease of catch rates for coastal fisheries
Source: U.S. Deportment of the lnttrlor
Attachment 4
RESOLUTION NO. 2014-15
AGENDA ITEM# SF
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CAPE
CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, OPPOSING SEISMIC AIRGUN TESTING IN
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF PRIOR
INCONSISTENT RESOLUTIONS; SEVERABILITY; AND AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Cape Canaveral endeavors to be a good steward of the coastal
environment and its resources; and
WHEREAS, seismic airgun testing is being proposed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) for the exploration of oil and natural gas off the mid-Atlantic coast; and
WHEREAS, tourism is a major economic force in the City of Cape Canaveral and
offshore drilling poses a major threat to our coastal economy and natural resources and, should a
spill occur, the natural environment that supports our local economy would be severely damaged
and the quality of life that both residents and visitors have come to expect would be negatively
affected for the foreseeable future; and
WHEREAS, the State of Florida has a long history of hurricanes and offshore drilling
would increase the chances of platform failures and oil spills due to the vulnerability of the
coastal waters to severe weather; and
WHEREAS, the use of airguns to conduct these seismic tests threatens fish populations
and profitable fisheries; and
WHEREAS, the type of seismic airgun testing used to search for oil and gas is incredibly
harmful and could injure or possibly kill thousands of marine mammals, sea turtles and fish
including the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale whose population stands at 500
individuals in the entire world; and
WHEREAS, the seismic airguns fire intense blasts of compressed air -almost as loud as
explosives every 10-12 seconds twenty-four hours a day for weeks on end. These loud airgun
blasts can be heard for many hundreds of miles in the ocean and can drive whales to abandon
habitats, go silent and cease foraging over vast areas. At shorter distances, airguns can cause
permanent hearing loss, injury and even death for whales, dolphins, sea turtles and fish; and
WHEREAS, the proposed seismic airgun testing will result in serious negative impact to
our marine resources, which form the foundation of economic vitality for communities all along
the Atlantic Coast; and
City of Cape Canaveral
Resolution No. 2014-15
Page 1 of2
AGENDA ITEM# 8F
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Cape
Canaveral, Brevard County, Florida: opposes seismic airgun testing and urges the President's
Administration to stop this process and focus on ensuring the vitality of vulnerable local
economies along the Atlantic Coast as we cannot continue to put our ocean, environment,
beaches, marine resources and local economies at risk.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, a certified copy of this Resolution is forwarded
to President Obama.
ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Cape Canaveral, Florida, this 15th day of
April2014.
ATTEST:
Angela Apperson, City Clerk
Approved as to Fonn:
Rocky Randels, Mayor
John Bond
Robert Hoog
Buzz Petsos
Rocky Randels
Betty Walsh
Anthony A. Garganese, City Attorney
City of Cape Canaveral
Resolution No. 2014-15
Page 2 of2
For Against