Fact Sheet: North Carolina Prepares for Effects from the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Legislation: Remove Damage Cap/Review Offshore Oil Spills (S836)
From the Outer Banks to Sunset Beach, North Carolina’s beaches are a favorite destination for swimming, surfing and fishing, and relaxing. Our coast also drives the state’s economy: the Outer Banks alone draw 7 million visitors each year, while coastal tourism and fishing spur well over $2.1 billion in spending each year.
The Gulf Coast Oil Spill has already devastated the Gulf region-- closing nearly 80,000 square miles of fisheries and washing up on more than 70 different beaches from Louisiana to Florida. A spill like the one in the Gulf could seriously damage our coast and the economy that depends upon it. Yet drilling off North Carolina’s coast is a real possibility in the federal government’s 2012-2017 plan.
“Remove Damage Cap/Review Offshore Oil Spills” strengthens the state’s coastal management laws to help prevent catastrophe off our coast, and ensures that oil companies like BP are fully liable for any damage oil spills cause our coastal environment. The bill:
• Removes ambiguities in current law to clarify that liable parties are fully responsible for damages to public resources and the cost of cleanup of a spill affecting the State.
• Directs the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) to review existing rules regarding offshore facilities, which have not been updated in 20 years. Following the review the CRC shall update their rules and make any necessary statutory recommendations to the General Assembly.
• Amends the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) to review any offshore oil or gas facility. The amendment identifies data and information required for any review, including: assessments and analysis of worst case scenario spill scenarios; economic, tourism and fishery impacts, including potential jobs lost; a detailed spill response plan as well as descriptions of any chemical dispersants that may be used in the event of a spill; and an assessment of alternatives to the proposal including potential energy conservation measures. These requirements, if approved by NOAA, would be used during the Federal consistency review process initiated if offshore leases are proposed in federal waters off the State’s coastline.
• Directs relevant State agencies to update the State’s Oil Spill Contingency Plan to account for the possibility of oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill affecting the North Carolina Coast.
You can read more about the bill here: State bill would strike cap on oil spill damages
If you would like to reach out to your legislators about this or any other issue but can't attend Clean Water Lobby Day, you can find contact information here: North Carolina General Assembly Lookup
The Nicholas School for the Environment at Duke University has a great blog keeping up with the BP Oil Disaster. Check it out by clicking the link: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/oilspill
You can also check out the official state oil spill response website here: North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety