sonar seismic
<div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/trump-plans-unleash-fossil-fuel-industry-conduct-violent-destructive-assaults">https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/trump-plans-unleash-fossil-fuel-industry-conduct-violent-destructive-assaults</a></font></span></div><div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span class="mw-headline">De</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">fenders of ocean habitats and marine life are up in arms on Friday as the Trump administration is set to approve new abilities for the fossil fuel industry to conduct widescale and "deafening" underwater seismic in federal waters off the U.S. Atlantic coast.</span></b></font></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The decision is expected to come from the National Marine Fisheries Service, a division of the Commerce Department, but conservation groups say it is a smack in the face to ocean ecosystems and a political nonstarter they vow to fight tooth and nail.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"This action flies in the face of massive opposition to offshore drilling and exploration from over 90 percent of coastal municipalities in the proposed blast zone," said Diane Hoskins, campaign director at Oceana. "These permits were already denied because of the known harm that seismic airgun blasting causes. President Trump is essentially giving these companies permission to harass, harm and possibly even kill marine life, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale – all in the pursuit of dirty and dangerous offshore oil. This is the first step toward offshore drilling in the Atlantic and we're going to make sure coastal communities know what's happening and fight this."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael Jasny, director of the Marine Mammal Protection Project at NRDC, said the president's action is totally detached from the reality of the threats the world's ecosytems now face.</font></p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><interaction data-token="5b96855f8198b4e625350260" data-context="true" data-tags="" data-fallback="true" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /></font><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Just one week after issuing dire warnings on the catastrophic fallout of climate change to come, the Trump Administration is opening our coastlines to for-profit companies to prospect for oil and gas—and is willing to sacrifice marine life, our coastal communities and fisheries in the process," fumed Jasny. "This is the first step towards drilling and <b>scientists warn that seismic activity alone could drive the endangered North American right whale to extinction.</b> We'll stand with citizens, coastal businesses, scientists, lawmakers, and commercial and recreational fishermen who oppose seismic blasting, and we will fight this illegal action."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/11/30/trump-administration-to-let-companies-run-deafening-seismic-tests-that-can-kill-marine-life-a-step-toward-oil-drilling-in-atlantic/?twitter_impression=true&noredirect=on" style="text-decoration-line: none;">According</a> to the<em> Washington Post</em>:</font></p><blockquote><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In addition to harming sea life, acoustic tests — in which boats tugging rods pressurized for sound emit jet engine-like booms 10 to 12 seconds apart for days and sometimes months — can disrupt thriving commercial fisheries. Governors, state lawmakers and attorneys general along the Atlantic coast say drilling threatens beach tourism that has flourished on the coast in the absence of oil production.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Seismic testing maps the ocean floor and estimates the whereabouts of oil and gas, but only exploratory drilling can confirm their presence. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill that soiled the Gulf of Mexico resulted from an exploratory drill. Another gulf disaster that looms almost as large has spewed oil for more than 14 years. The Taylor Energy Co. spill of up to an estimated 700 barrels a day started when a hurricane ripped up production wells, and could continue for the rest of the century, according to the Interior Department.</font></p></blockquote><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Seismic blasting is a violent, destructive precursor to unnecessary offshore oil drilling," said Angela Howe, Surfrider Foundation Legal Director, in a statement. "According to estimates from the<b> Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM),</b> the seismic exploration projects could directly harm tens of thousands of whales and dolphins, in addition to thousands of manatees, seals, and sea turtles. This type of damage to our coastal resources is unacceptable. The Surfrider Foundation and our strong coalition of allies will stand up to protect our ocean, waves and beaches for the future."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While the seismic blasting is awful enough, Earthjustice warns that this is only a part of the Trump adminstration's assault on the oceans and marine life. As the group notes:</font></p><blockquote><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">While destructive in their own right, the seismic tests are only a first step in the Trump administration’s broader plans for dramatic expansion of offshore drilling in the Atlantic and beyond. The Department of the Interior has proposed opening 90 percent of U.S. federal offshore waters to the fossil fuel industry, exposing nearly every coastline in the nation to the risk of an environmentally devastating oil spill and the degradation that comes with industrializing more of our rich ocean environments.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> Since the planning process for this offshore leasing expansion got underway, more than 1.45 million Americans have demonstrated intense opposition with rallies, marches and comments submitted to the Department of Interior agency responsible for crafting the plan.</span></font></p></blockquote><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"As usual, the Trump administration is pulling out all the stops to give favors to the fossil fuel industry, whatever the cost to coastal communities and wildlife," said Athan Manuel, the lands protection program director for the Sierra Club. "We will continue to fight back against their dangerous plans to subject our coasts to seismic blasting and expanded offshore drilling."</font></p><div><span class="mw-headline"><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></span></span></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/congress-preparing-sacrifice-entire-whale-species-so-fossil-fuel-industry-can" class="external text" title="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/congress-preparing-sacrifice-entire-whale-species-so-fossil-fuel-industry-can" rel="nofollow" style="margin: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background: url(" lock_icon.gif="lock_icon.gif" right="right" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" padding-right="padding-right" px="px">Congress Is Preparing to Sacrifice an Entire Whale Species So Fossil Fuel Industry Can Search for Offshore Oil</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> 11/17. see </span><a href="https://ic.ucsc.edu/college8core/c8wiki/index.php/Category:Marine_Mammals#Articles.2FReports" class="external text" title="https://ic.ucsc.edu/college8core/c8wiki/index.php/Category:Marine Mammals#Articles.2FReports" rel="nofollow" style="margin: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background: url(" lock_icon.gif="lock_icon.gif" right="right" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" padding-right="padding-right" px="px">Marine Mammals</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">North Atlantic right whales—the most iconic marine mammal of the U.S. East Coast—are struggling to survive. This year alone has seen the devastating loss of at least 16 whales, leading the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to declare that the species is experiencing an “<a href="https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/mmume/2017northatlanticrightwhaleume.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">unusual mortality event</a>.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New science shows North Atlantic right whales have steadily declined since 2010 to a best <a href="https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/Status%20Reviews/final_narw_5-year_review_2017.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">estimate of 458 individuals in 2015</a>. The unprecedented losses over the past two years are unlikely to have reversed this trend.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Worryingly, females are less likely to survive than males (in 2015, there were estimated to be <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.3406/full" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">only 186 females left</a>) and they now only live to between 30 and 40 years old. At the same time, female right whales are having fewer calves than they used to, with one being born approximately every ten years. It is also a struggle to successfully raise a calf to adulthood, as young animals are more vulnerable to ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement. This means that number of surviving calves is far from outweighing the number of animals lost every year.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">If these trends continue, the species <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/north-atlantic-right-whale-faces-extinction" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">may become effectively extinct within 20 years</a>, making it the first great whale to be lost in modern times.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Now the right whales face an extremely serious threat from the oil and gas industry and its servants in Congress. The “SECURE American Energy Act” (<a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_4239.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">H.R. 4239</a>), passed out of a Congressional Committee earlier this month, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/alexandra-adams/house-republicans-vote-risky-drilling-and-less-safety" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">would give the oil industry dangerous access to our Atlantic Ocean waters, without protection for whales and dolphins, or our ocean health</a>. If signed into law, the Act would <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/michael-jasny/congress-biggest-attack-marine-mammals-decades" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">eviscerate the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)</a>, which has <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/taryn-kiekow-heimer/law-protecting-marine-mammals-turns-45-congress-kill-it" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">protected many of the ocean’s most iconic species for 45 years</a>, including the North Atlantic right whale, by placing safeguards on human activities, like offshore oil exploration.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Without the protection of the MMPA, the already critically endangered North Atlantic right whale would be subject to the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/atlantic-seismic-will-impact-marine-mammals-and-fisheries" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">full onslaught of seismic blasting</a>—the first big step in oil and gas development—off the east coast. The massive seismic survey area proposed by the oil and gas industry directly overlaps with the right whale’s migratory corridor, and the noise emitted from seismic blasts is likely to impact critical calving habitat. This could <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/blasting-atlantic-trump-admin-takes-next-step" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">disrupt their ability to navigate and find food, and drown out vital communication between mothers and their calves</a>. For right whales, every single calf is precious and a lost calf will not be able to survive alone in the ocean without its mother.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">These are impacts that North Atlantic right whales, in their dire conservation state, simply cannot withstand. In 2016, it was the opinion of 28 right whale biologists, including some of the world’s leading experts on the species, that <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/michael-jasny/experts-right-whales-are-declining-and-proposed-airgun-blasting" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">the proposed seismic surveys may represent the “tipping point” that will drive the species to extinction</a>. This risk is even more acute following the latest information on the alarming decline of this emblematic species.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The oil industry is pushing for the House of Representatives to vote on this terrible bill next week, after Thanksgiving. Please demand that your Representatives strongly oppose this legislation and attack on North Atlantic right whales and all marine mammals. <a href="https://act.nrdc.org/letter/marine-mammals-171107?ga=2.46917799.1805362409.1510587667-35104488.1509383912" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">You can sign a petition here</a>; and <a href="https://www.callmycongress.com/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">you can go here</a> to find the office of your Congressional representative and give them a call.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">This article was originally published by the NRDC. </font></p></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><div id="sponsors" class="card" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); border-radius: 2px; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h4 style="margin: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); border-radius: 2px 2px 0px 0px; padding: 0.8125rem 15.8594px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bill Sponsor</font></h4><ul style="list-style: none; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/S001176-steve-scalise" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/S001176-steve-scalise" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/S001176-steve-scalise" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/S001176-steve-scalise" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Steve Scalise <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase;">(R-LA.)</small></li></ul></div><div id="cosponsors" class="card large expandable" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); border-radius: 2px; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; overflow: hidden; max-height: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h4 style="margin: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); border-radius: 2px 2px 0px 0px; padding: 0.8125rem 15.8594px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bill Cosponsors</font></h4><p style="line-height: 1rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8125rem 15.8594px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">15 (2 Democrats, 13 Republicans)</font></p><ul style="list-style: none; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/B001250-rob-bishop" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/B001250-rob-bishop" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/B001250-rob-bishop" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/B001250-rob-bishop" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Rob Bishop <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-UTAH)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/G000581-vicente-gonzalez" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-d-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/G000581-vicente-gonzalez" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/G000581-vicente-gonzalez" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/G000581-vicente-gonzalez" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Vicente Gonzalez <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(D-TEXAS)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001063-henry-cuellar" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-d-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001063-henry-cuellar" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001063-henry-cuellar" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001063-henry-cuellar" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Henry Cuellar <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(D-TEXAS)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/G000565-paul-gosar" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/G000565-paul-gosar" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/G000565-paul-gosar" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/G000565-paul-gosar" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Paul Gosar <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-ARIZ.)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001096-kevin-cramer" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001096-kevin-cramer" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001096-kevin-cramer" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001096-kevin-cramer" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Kevin Cramer <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-N.D.)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/P000588-steve-pearce" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/P000588-steve-pearce" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/P000588-steve-pearce" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/P000588-steve-pearce" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Steve Pearce <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-N.M.)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/L000564-doug-lamborn" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/L000564-doug-lamborn" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/L000564-doug-lamborn" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/L000564-doug-lamborn" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Doug Lamborn <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-COLO.)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/R000600-amata-coleman-radewagen" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/R000600-amata-coleman-radewagen" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/R000600-amata-coleman-radewagen" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/R000600-amata-coleman-radewagen" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Amata Coleman Radewagen <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-AMERICAN SAMOA)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/W000814-randy-weber" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/W000814-randy-weber" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/W000814-randy-weber" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/W000814-randy-weber" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Randy Weber <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-TEXAS)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/L000578-doug-lamalfa" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/L000578-doug-lamalfa" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/L000578-doug-lamalfa" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/L000578-doug-lamalfa" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Doug LaMalfa <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-CALIF.)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/H001067-richard-hudson" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/H001067-richard-hudson" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/H001067-richard-hudson" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/H001067-richard-hudson" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Richard Hudson <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-N.C.)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/F000461-bill-flores" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/F000461-bill-flores" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/F000461-bill-flores" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/F000461-bill-flores" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Bill Flores <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-TEXAS)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/D000615-jeffrey-duncan" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/D000615-jeffrey-duncan" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/D000615-jeffrey-duncan" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/D000615-jeffrey-duncan" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Jeffrey Duncan <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-S.C.)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/Y000033-don-young" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/Y000033-don-young" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/Y000033-don-young" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/Y000033-don-young" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Don Young <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-ALASKA)</small></li><li style="padding: 0.5rem 15.8594px; border-bottom: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/A000374-ralph-abraham" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /></font><div class="vote-swatch vote-swatch-r-yes" style="width: 12px; height: 12px; border-radius: 2px; vertical-align: text-top; display: inline-block; background: rgb(170, 0, 0);"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/A000374-ralph-abraham" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/A000374-ralph-abraham" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;" /><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/A000374-ralph-abraham" style="text-decoration-line: none; border: 0px;"> </a></font></div> Ralph Abraham <small class="gray uppercase" style="line-height: 18.1289px; vertical-align: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; display: inline; padding-left: 0px;">(R-LA.)</small></li></ul></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr4239</font></div><div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biggest-attack-marine-mammals-2509135255.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/biggest-attack-marine-mammals-2509135255.html</a></font></p><div class="headline-container" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 class="headline h1" style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; line-height: 31px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Congress: Biggest Attack on Marine Mammals in Decades</font></h1></div><div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px;"><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="js-scroll-trigger" data-target="body" data-triggers="render-rebelbar" data-toggle-class="with-floating-shares" data-loaded="true" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /></span></font></p><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2509135255" data-authors="Natural Resources Defense Council" data-headline="Congress: Biggest Attack on Marine Mammals in Decades" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description" style=""><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By Michael Jasny</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On Thursday, the House Natural Resources Committee passed a bill, called the </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"SECURE American Energy Act" (<a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_4239.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">H.R. 4239</a>),</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> that can only be described as an oil industry wish-list. The bill's purpose is to mow down environmental concerns that stand in the way of the complete exploitation of fossil fuels in this country. For the oceans, this would mean an end to national monument designation and to some of those pesky safety regulations that were put in place after the Deepwater spill, </span><a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/alexandra-adams/house-republicans-vote-risky-drilling-and-less-safety" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none;">among other things</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. And although it hasn't received much attention—yet—one late addition to the bill targets marine mammals in a very big way.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">H.R. 4239 would eviscerate one of the core provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the law that for more than 45 years has been the bulwark of conservation for many of our most iconic ocean species. The Protection Act works by placing safeguards on human activities, like offshore oil exploration, that harm whales, dolphins and other marine mammals. Simply put, H.R. 4239 would gut a whole lot of those safeguards.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What would this mean for marine mammal protection? For starters:</font></p><ul class="ee-ul" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;"><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">H.R. 4239 would allow industry to harm huge numbers of marine mammals, by killing the safeguard limiting its impacts to "small numbers."</font></li></ul><ul class="ee-ul" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;"><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It would eliminate the requirement that activities have the "least practicable impact" on marine mammals, allowing industry to proceed without attempting to minimize harm.</font></li></ul><ul class="ee-ul" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;"><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It would prevent the wildlife agencies from requiring industry to monitor the long-term consequences of its actions.</font></li></ul><ul class="ee-ul" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;"><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It would establish an impossibly short timeline for the wildlife agencies to review industry activities for their marine mammal impacts, and automatically permit those activities if the agencies fail to meet it.</font></li></ul><ul class="ee-ul" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;"><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And, having turned much of our marine mammal law into a dead letter, it would exempt industry from having to comply with Endangered Species Act protections for marine mammals as well.</font></li></ul><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Destroying the Marine Mammal Protection Act would pave the way for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/seismic-airgun-blasting" style="text-decoration-line: none;">seismic blasting</a>—the first big step in oil and gas development—off the East Coast. As my colleagues and I <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/new-science-seismic-blasting-devastates-oceans-zooplankton" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">have</a> <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/atlantic-seismic-will-impact-marine-mammals-and-fisheries" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">written</a>, the industry's blasting is known to seriously compromise marine life from zooplankton to fish to the great baleen whales, and scientists have warned of "<a href="http://news.neaq.org/2015/03/full-text-letter-urging-president-to.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">significant, long-lasting and widespread impacts</a>" on entire species and populations if the oil industry gets the green light. Blasting the Atlantic is broadly opposed by <a href="http://www.protectourcoastnow.com/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">more than 120 coastal communities</a> from southern New Jersey to Florida, by <a href="http://protectingtheatlanticcoast.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">more than 40,000 coastal businesses</a>, by fishing associations, Chambers of Commerce, and more. But the oil industry doesn't care what the coast thinks.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nor, of course, does it care about the love that people in this country have for whales and other marine mammals. In a recent poll, some 76 percent of Americans said they want to protect marine mammals from threats, including from offshore oil and gas exploration, and 73 percent said they support the Marine Mammal Protection Act. When the Committee released its bill, there was no mention of its bid to gut the Act in <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/newsroom/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=403321" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">its press release</a>, and that's not surprising. If I were them, I wouldn't want to let folks know what I was doing here either.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The "SECURE American Energy Act" (H.R. 4239) may come to a vote on the House floor this week. Please demand that your representatives strongly oppose this legislation and its attack on marine mammals. <a href="https://act.nrdc.org/letter/marine-mammals-171107" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">You can sign our petition here</a>; and <a href="https://www.callmycongress.com/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">you can go here</a> to find the office number of your Congressional representative and give them a call.</font></p></div></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/seismic-tesing-oil-drilling-2402920868.html"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">http://www.ecowatch.com/seismic-tesing-oil-drilling-2402920868.html</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div class="headline-container" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 class="headline h1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: 500; position: relative; line-height: 22px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Seismic Testing to Begin in Atlantic Ocean in Push for Offshore Drilling</font></h1></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="js-scroll-trigger" data-target="body" data-triggers="render-rebelbar" data-toggle-class="with-floating-shares" data-loaded="true" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /></span></font><div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="article-body body js-expandable sm-mb-2 md-mb-4 js-update-url selectionShareable" data-url="http://www.ecowatch.com/seismic-tesing-oil-drilling-2402920868.html" data-headline="Seismic Testing to Begin in Atlantic Ocean in Push for Offshore Drilling" data-elid="2402920868" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="article-description" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Interior Department announced it is moving forward with <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/seismic-airgun-blasting" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">seismic</a> surveys in the Atlantic Ocean following President <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Donald Trump</a>'s executive order last month to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-expand-offshore-drilling-2383011441.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">aggressively expand</a> offshore <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-expand-offshore-drilling-2383011441.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">drilling</a> in protected areas off the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.</font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Six permit applications by energy companies—ones that were rejected by the Obama administration—are being reviewed by the department.</font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The oil and gas industry has long pushed for seismic surveys used to search for oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean's surface.</font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">However, environmental groups warn that the surveys are an extremely loud and dangerous process.</font></p><div id="AdThrive_Content_1_desktop" class="adthrive-ad adthrive-dynamic adthrive-content" data-google-query-id="CMGU7tvY6tMCFccPPwodZHcDew" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center; overflow-x: visible !important;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_18190176/AdThrive_Content_1/58d2e52b44e6236dc5819ee2_0container_" style="border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; width: 1px; height: 1px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></div></div><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Seismic airguns create one of the loudest manmade sounds in the ocean, firing intense blasts of compressed air every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, for weeks to months on end," Dustin Cranor, <a href="http://oceana.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Oceana</a>'s senior director of U.S. communications, told EcoWatch. "The noise from these blasts is so loud that it can be heard up to 2,500 miles from the source, which is approximately the distance from Washington, DC to Las Vegas."
</font></font></font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"These blasts are of special concern to marine life, including fish, turtles and whales, which depend on sound for communication and survival," Cranor said. He noted that the government's own estimates show that seismic airgun blasting in the Atlantic could injure as many as 138,000 marine mammals like dolphins and whales, while disturbing the vital activities of millions more.</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Furthermore, <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Greenpeace</a> said "pursuing this development stands at cross-purposes with the nation's necessary and rapidly accelerating move away from fossil fuels, and with previous commitments to address global <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">climate change</a>."</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.seashepherd.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's</a> Capt. Paul Watson explained, "One of the major threats to the survival of cetaceans, is noise pollution. More seismic testing and military LFS testing will <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/seismic-testing-whales-dolphins-2344214359.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">result in more strandings</a>. This decision equates to a death sentence for thousands of whales and dolphins."</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Seismic data has not been gathered in the mid- and south-Atlantic regions, from northern Florida to Delaware, for at least 30 years.</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Interior Department said that the surveys are needed to update information about the Outer Continental Shelf that was gathered more than three decades ago, "when technology was not as advanced as today."
</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <a href="https://apnews.com/eecd45d301bf436891e6472564860353/Gov't-to-begin-seismic-surveys-in-Atlantic-in-drilling-push" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Associated Press</a> reported that any new drilling activity is expected to be limited to the coasts of Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia.
</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Interior Sec. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ryan-zinke" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Ryan Zinke</a> <a href="https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-advances-america-first-offshore-energy-strategy" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">said</a> that the surveys will help "a variety of federal and state partners better understand our nation's offshore areas ... and evaluate resources that belong to the American people."</font></font></font></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Industry groups applauded the department's decision to review the permit applications. "There has been no documented scientific evidence of noise from these surveys adversely affecting marine animal populations or coastal communities," Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, <a href="https://www.noia.org/noia-applauds-doi-reversal-atlantic-seismic-permit-denials/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">said</a>.</font></font></font></p></div></div></div></div></div>