MOREHEAD CITY — The Morehead City Council and the Beaufort Board of Commissioners received standing ovations this week when they unanimously approved separate resolutions against offshore oil and natural gas drilling and seismic testing.
The Emerald Isle Board of Commissioners also heard comments concerning the topic at its regular meeting Tuesday night in the town meeting room, but took no action.
At the Morehead City meeting Tuesday, the room was packed with a group of concerned citizens from across the county who passionately pled with the council to approve the resolution in support of fighting back against offshore drilling.
“What happens in Morehead affects us all,” said Penny Hooper, of Smyrna, who is organizing opposition efforts. She said the city council should pass the resolution to make a statement.
“We want to speak loud and clear to our government … that we don’t want it. And the quicker we say that, the better off we are.”
There were 14 others who went to the podium to state their case for passing the resolution and saying “no” to offshore drilling and seismic testing. Many in the crowd wore stickers that said “Don’t Drill.”
It took more than an hour during the Morehead City meeting at 202 S. Eighth Street before the council finally decided to move ahead with a vote – which was originally not expected for the meeting – and passed the resolution.
“I was ready to vote yesterday,” said Councilman Harvey Walker, who pushed the measure to vote. “I mean, don’t drill.”
Councilman Bill Taylor was not as confident about the resolution.
“It (offshore drilling) is in federal waters. Does our resolution, our petition, actually make a difference,” he asked the crowd, which enthusiastically responded that it would help.
Councilmen Diane Warrender, George Ballou and Mr. Taylor repeatedly asked for time to research the issue before a vote, but ultimately voted in favor of the resolution.
Mr. Ballou said if the council members voted against it with a majority vote, he was worried the crowd would perceive it as being against their cause.
“If we vote against it, that puts us in a dangerous situation,” he said.
Monday, Beaufort became the first town in Carteret County to take a strong stand against offshore testing and drilling, saying it diametrically opposes the coast’s healthy tourism and fishing industries.
“The only pillaging and plunder that should be allowed on our coast is that of the pirates that visit us one week a year and leave behind their treasure chests of tourist dollars,” resident Donna Anastasi-Styron told the board at their August board meeting in the train depot.
Commissioners moved to adopt the resolution opposing oil and natural gas drilling off North Carolina’s coast, including a provision to further oppose the seismic testing involved in exploration, after hearing community concerns.
“It doesn’t make sense, folks,” Mayor Richard Stanley said of offshore drilling.
Though no one spoke in favor of coastal production Monday, proponents of the federal government’s drilling plan say opening the eastern seaboard will allow the U.S. to access untapped reserves, help meet domestic demand for oil and stimulate coastal economies by providing jobs in an extremely profitable industry.
But opponents disagree.
“The hype about job creation is not supported by facts,” Ms. Anastasi-Styron said. “What does exists, what is substantiated, is that the projected growth in the North Carolina coastal tourism industry by 2035 is comparable to the highest economic benefit estimates for oil and gas industries.”
Additionally, the risks associated with offshore oil production are too great, residents said.
“When you drill, you spill,” Jill Harner told the board. “The potential short-term economic gain drilling would bring to our economy is not worth sacrificing the immense and sustained value our coastal tourism and fishing industries bring … Our coasts are worth much more wild.”
Beaufort officials penned a letter to Gov. Pat McCrory and legislators back in March, stating they opposed the plan to drill off the Crystal Coast due to the lack of a revenue-sharing agreement and contingency funds to protect coastal towns in the event of a disaster.
Monday’s resolution goes a step further, stating oil and gas production threatens precious coastal resources, and companies would be harvesting an “inconsequential” amount of oil compared to other mineral-rich areas.
Several area businesses have joined the opposition, according to a letter signed by 24 Beaufort establishments, including Beaufort Trading Co., Island Ferry Adventures and Waterbug Tours.
“We have a formula here for continued success,” Ms. Anastasi-Styron said. “One that does not mix with oil and gas.”
In Emerald Isle, town manager Frank Rush declined to put the oil resolution on the board of commissioners’ meeting agenda, opting to let the board take up other matters.
However, the board did allow some comments on the resolution.
Resident Sue Stone said she and the others present at the meeting wanted Emerald Isle to stay “clean and green,” as many in town often say.
“I know (Mayor) Eddie (Barber) and Frank went to the N.C. Coastal Federation all-day seminar in New Bern a week or so ago, and so did a couple of the candidates for town commission,” she said. “There was a lot of good information there, and there’s a lot of other good information around. We just want to get on the agenda for next month.
Ms. Stone said she believed there were at least 16 other North Carolina municipalities that had adopted resolutions opposing the drilling.
“We’d like you to join everyone else. The ball is rolling. The time is now. Let’s be a leader, not a follower,” Ms. Stone said.
Sellers Hardee, another town resident, noted that between 1970 and 2014, the population of Louisiana, at the epicenter of the Gulf Coast oil industry, grew from 3.6 million in population to 4.6 million, while North Carolina grew from 5 million to almost 10 million.
“If they wanted oil jobs, where would they have gone?” Mr. Hardee asked. “But they didn’t. They came here, because they wanted clean water and clean air. We’re asking you to consider a resolution banning offshore oil drilling.”
Contact Anna Harvey at 252-726-7081, ext. 229; email anna@thenewstimes.com; or follow on Twitter @annaccnt.
Contact Jackie Starkey at 252-726-7081, ext. 232; email jackie@thenewstimes.com; or follow on Twitter @jackieccnt.
Contact Brad Rich at 910-326-5066 (office) and 252-864-1532 (cell); email brad@tidelandnews.com or follow on Twitter @bradccnt.
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