Feds Look To Allay Seismic Air Gun Testing Fears

OCEAN CITY — With the federal government inching closer to green-lighting the use of seismic air gun testing for natural gas and oil off the mid-Atlantic coast including Ocean City, the agency that would regulate the activity last week issued a statement attempting to clear up some of the myths associated with the potential dangers.

With a renewed interest in tapping potential oil and gas reserves off the mid-Atlantic coast, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is moving forward with a proposal to allow private sector companies to utilize potentially harmful seismic air gun testing to determine what lies beneath the ocean floor. Seismic air guns essentially shoot a blast of sound into the ocean floor to determine the locations and scopes of potential oil and gas reserves off the coast.

In late July, BOEM released its final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for seismic air gun testing in the mid-Atlantic, opining the potential rewards outweigh any possible impact to marine life. While there are still several hurdles to clear before seismic air guns are blasted into the ocean floor off the coast of Ocean City and throughout the mid-Atlantic, the PEIS represents the federal government’s intention to move forward with the proposal despite an outcry of opposition from nearly all corners.

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