Seismic testing off NJ coast close to start despite opposition

A Rutgers University professor is going full speed ahead with a seismic study of the ocean floor, despite flags raised by oppositional legislatures, a state agency and environmentalists. Legislatures went above him Friday and appealed to Rutgers University President Robert Barch urging him to stop the study that could begin in June. “I don’t understand the rancor that has developed. I’m doing basic research of sea level history. We’re trying to preserve our coastline by understanding how it behaves during sea level rise,” Mountain said. Read the rest here 09:27

3 Responses to Seismic testing off NJ coast close to start despite opposition

  1. DickyG says:

    Dear Geologist Gregory Mountain,
    Here’s one very quick and easy way to allay all of our unreasonable fears regarding the effects of seismic blasting on our ocean mammals and fish: don your SCUBA gear and have a dive right below the area where they are harmlessly seismic blasting. Then, when (or if) you surface, please give us a first-hand scientific report on the effects of the harmless seismic blasting you’ve experienced. OK? Deal?

    And do you really expect us to believe that this seismic blasting is in order to “…track the geologic record of sea-level change from the time of the last Ice Age to as far back as 60 million years ago to understand how these changes have caused the New Jersey coastline to advance and retreat.”? Come on now, Mr. Mountain!

    From the American Petroleum Institute’s very own website:
    “Why are Seismic Surveys Needed in the Atlantic OCS”

    The Obama administration is currently considering whether to allow seismic surveying in the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Offshore seismic surveys are an advanced exploration technique used to locate potential oil and natural gas reserves hidden below the ocean floor. They are also used to site locations for offshore wind facilities.

    http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/exploration-and-production/offshore/why-are-seismic-surveys-needed-in-the-atlantic-ocs

    And a statement from Eric Milito API director upstream and industry operations in a Press briefing on Atlantic seismic surveys
    Thursday, February 27, 2014

    “The economic benefits of opening the Atlantic to offshore
    oil and natural gas development will be felt all across the country…”

    “In order to achieve these gains, the government must permit seismic surveys in the Atlantic and hold Atlantic lease sales under the next five-year plan for offshore oil and natural gas. That plan will cover lease sales from the second half of 2017 to the first half of 2022.”

    “Seismic surveys work by recording how sound waves generated near the surface reflect off the rocks beneath the ocean floor. These recordings allow scientists to produce detailed 3-dimensional maps that give engineers the information they need to identify the safest and most efficient drilling locations.”

    http://www.api.org/news-and-media/testimony-speeches/2014/erik-milito-press-briefing-on-atlantic-seismic-surveys

  2. DickyG says:

    Dear Geologist Gregory Mountain,
    Here’s one very quick and easy way to allay all of our unreasonable fears regarding the effects of seismic blasting on our ocean mammals and fish: don your SCUBA gear and have a dive right below the area where they are harmlessly seismic blasting. Then, when (or if) you surface, please give us a first-hand scientific report on the effects of the harmless seismic blasting you’ve experienced. OK? Deal?

    And do you actually expect us to believe that this seismic blasting is in order to “…track the geologic record of sea-level change from the time of the last Ice Age to as far back as 60 million years ago to understand how these changes have caused the New Jersey coastline to advance and retreat.”? Come on now, Mr. Mountain!

    Are you, for instance, willing to personally guarantee that your purely-academic-scientific-curiosity-research data won’t find its way onto the computers of the geo-petro-engineers?

    From the American Petroleum Institute’s very own website:
    “Why are Seismic Surveys Needed in the Atlantic OCS”

    The Obama administration is currently considering whether to allow seismic surveying in the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Offshore seismic surveys are an advanced exploration technique used to locate potential oil and natural gas reserves hidden below the ocean floor. They are also used to site locations for offshore wind facilities.

    http://www.api.org/oil-and-nat

    And a statement from Eric Milito API director upstream and industry operations in a Press briefing on Atlantic seismic surveys
    Thursday, February 27, 2014

    “The economic benefits of opening the Atlantic to offshore oil and natural gas development will be felt all across the country…”

    “In order to achieve these gains, the government must permit seismic surveys in the Atlantic and hold Atlantic lease sales under the next five-year plan for offshore oil and natural gas. That plan will cover lease sales from the second half of 2017 to the first half of 2022.”

    “Seismic surveys work by recording how sound waves generated near the surface reflect off the rocks beneath the ocean floor. These recordings allow scientists to produce detailed 3-dimensional maps that give engineers the information they need to identify the safest and most efficient drilling locations.”

    http://www.api.org/news-and-me

Leave a Reply to boreheadCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.