Offshore drilling opponents to unite for Hands Across the Sand

Standing across a beach is easy, but protest organizers hope the simple display will send a powerful message about offshore drilling and seismic testing.

Hands Across the Sand participants will stand together in hope of raising awareness about the coastal activities on May 19 in Rehoboth Beach 

"We are trying to bring awareness to something that doesn’t belong off the coast of Delmarva," said Kevin Chandler, chair of the Delaware chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. "The seismic testing has a great impact on the environment, any non-consumer group at the beach should not be swimming in that type of contaminated water."

The Department of the Interior announced a plan in January that would open up 90 percent of America's offshore waters to drilling, including Delaware's.

This makes this year's Hands Across the Sand on May 19 even more important, Chandler said.

Hands Across the Sand started in 2009 in Florida after then-President Barack Obama first discussed opening offshore areas to oil drilling.

The movement has moved up the East Coast, and now has stretched internationally with events planned in countries such as New Zealand and Australia.

In Delaware, participants will gather at Wilmington Avenue on the beach in Rehoboth Beach at 11:30 a.m. At noon, participants hold hands on the beach to show their opposition to offshore drilling and seismic testing.

On Delmarva, similar Hands Across the Sand events are also planned at Assateague State Park in Maryland and at Willis Wharf in Northampton County in Virginia.

The Assateague event is being held by the Assateague Coastal Trust at noon in the day use area of the park.

Chandler said he is afraid if seismic testing and offshore drilling are allowed off Delaware, it could harm the waters as well as the tourism industry.

"Tourism in Delaware is one of the leading sources of income, and it saves taxpayer money every year," Chandler said. "A great deal of a number of people, their jobs depend on the oceans and coastal front."

With the Donald Trump administration, offshore drilling and seismic testing is a "very real possibility," said John Weber, Mid-Atlantic regional manager for the Surfrider Foundation.

When Obama was president and offshore drilling was discussed, grassroots efforts such as Hands Across the Sand as well as going to local government meetings brought change, he said, which is why Hands Across the Sand is so important.

This resulted in many beach towns passing resolutions to state their opposition to offshore drilling, Weber added, which he now fears could go away if offshore drilling and seismic testing are allowed.

"I think we have been really successful in pointing out the hypocrisy in this administration," he added. "They say they want to listen to local people — this administration in particular they say they want to give local control — but here it’s the opposite."

And there is legislation before the Delaware General Assembly which would ban offshore drilling off the Delaware coastline.

The bill, introduced by Delaware Senator Ernie Lopez, a Republican, was filed Tuesday and would prohibit drilling for oil and natural gas in Delaware's coastal zone and territorial waters.

“Our coastline is one of Delaware’s greatest assets and most precious gems,” Lopez said in a release. “The risk of environmental damage from offshore drilling far outweighs any benefit to consumers in Delaware. It is imperative that we are very clear in this case. We will protect our shoreline and our waters.”

The bill also precludes DNREC from issuing any permits for projects connected to offshore drilling infrastructure, whether proposed for Delaware territorial waters or waters outside the state.

The bill has support in both the Delaware House of Representatives and Senate, with 14 representatives and senators serving as cosponsors, including Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, a Democrat, and Speaker of the House, and Ron Gray, a Republican.

In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan called Ryan Zinke, secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, in January to continue to talk about granting Maryland an exemption from offshore drilling, similar to one granted to Florida.

Rep. Andy Harris has previously voiced support for offshore drilling, but he later changed his mind and voiced his opposition to expanding it.

The Ocean City Town Council also has sent letters to its representatives in the Maryland General Assembly to voice opposition to offshore drilling and seismic testing.

In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam also requested an exemption from offshore drilling in January.

The Accomack County Board of Supervisors and the Northampton County Board of Supervisors have also passed measures to prevent offshore drilling.

Event organizers, which include not only the Surfrider Foundation but also the Sierra Club, Oceana Mid-Atlantic and MERR, are encouraged by the amount of interest shown in the event.

At his last check, the event has had more than 700 people say they are interested in going or are planning on going, said Matt Heim, Mid-Atlantic campaign organizer for Oceana, an organization focused on protecting oceans.

People who live near the coast are "on the front line for risk," he said, and with much of Delaware's economy dependent on the ocean, offshore drilling and seismic testing jeopardizes Delaware's economy.

"This is a great way for the public to show where they stand, especially since the Trump administration said they would be willing to listen to the public," he added. "This is just a way to share that public voice."

These campaigns have also been effective in swaying the opinions of public officials, he said, pointing to Harris changing his mind on offshore drilling.

Above all, event organizers are hoping the public will keep raising awareness of their issues with offshore drilling.

"Hopefully," Chandler said, "it will be a platform where everyone can be involved."

Information from The News Journal was used in this report.

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