The Obama administration has just denied all permits for seismic airgun blasting in the Atlantic Ocean. This move comes weeks after another environmental success by the Obama administration occurred, permanently protecting millions of acres of underwater canyons along the Atlantic coast from oil and gas leasing.
Victory for whales! President Obama Cancels Dangerous Seismic Testing in the Atlantic >> https://t.co/UzN9yYjT3r pic.twitter.com/YgvnBSk0C4
— Earthjustice (@Earthjustice) January 7, 2017
“We know that seismic airgun blasting is dangerous,” Oceana campaign director Claire Douglass said in a statement. “Today, we thank the Obama administration for finishing the job in protecting the Atlantic Ocean from offshore drilling activities.”
Seismic testing, also called seismic airgun blasting, blasts the seafloor with airguns to search for oil and gas deposits. This process disturbs marine mammals, causing damage and hearing loss in feeding and breeding habitats.
The government estimates over 138,000 marine mammals, including dolphins and whales, would be injured and disturbed if seismic airgun blasting in the Atlantic were to take place.
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