Weighing the Risks of Offshore Drilling to the Georgia Coast

(L-R) Harvey Ferrell of Sweet Lowland Tours, Tybee City Councilman Paul Wolff, Environment Georgia's Jenette Gayer, Steve Willis of the Sierra Club speaking out against offshore drilling Monday.

By: Russ Riesinger | WSAV-TV
Published: November 17, 2009

Environmentalists spoke out about the threat that offshore drilling for gas and oil could bring to coastal Georgia-- pushing instead for more sustainable sources of energy. At a news conference Monday on the Tybee Pier, Environment Georgia released a new report entitled “Oceans Under the Gun” that looks at the threats that Georgia’s coast faces and the value of its current oil-free coastal economy. Jennette Gayer, of Environment Georgia, said congress will be making decisions about offshore drilling which she calls a "dirty and dangerous business." The debate over offshore drilling heated up in 2008 when the price of gas surged to around 4 dollars a gallon. Proponents of offshore drilling say new procedures make it safer than ever, but Gayer disagrees saying it's a big risk for the little resources that are believed to be off of the coast. "Our coastal tourism industry, our fishing industry generates billions of dollars and we compare that to the amount of oil and gas we have on the coast and there is really no comparison, so protecting our coast from oil and gas drilling is an economic imperative and something that we should be pursuing." Tybee City Councilman Paul Wolff said sustainable sources of energy such as solar, tidal, and wind could make Georgia's coast self-sufficient when it comes to energy. "Even a small spill could destroy our economy for generations," says Wolff. Click Video to hear more. I've also made a link to Environment Georgia's website below.
http://www.environmentgeorgia.org/