Trump Administration Could Permit Oil Companies To Assault' Marine Life

The Trump administration took a major step forward Monday in its pledge to expand offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean by greenlighting a process that could wreak havoc on marine life and coastal communities, scientists say.

The National Marine Fisheries Service drafted five Incidental Harassment Authorizations, which would let five drilling companies injure or disturb fish and marine mammals as the companies search for oil and gas deposits off the East Coast for a one-year period.

Seismic surveying involves mapping fossil fuel reserves deep beneath the oceans surface by firing extremely loud bursts of compressed air through the water. The blasts can travel hundreds of miles and occur every 10 to 12 seconds for weeks or even months.

Seismic testing is the precursor to drilling, Michael Jasny, the director of the National Resources Defense Councils Marine Mammal Protection Project, told reporters during a press call Monday. But seismic [testing] alone is a serious assault on our coast and oceans.

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