All too often when people hear about our government, the first thing that comes to mind is dissention, posturing, and a great divide between our political parties. But in recent weeks, state legislators on both sides of the aisle came together in a united front on the issue of offshore drilling, with strong support from Gov. Brian Kemp.
We stood together at the Georgia Capitol, legislators representing both coastal and inland Georgia, from all walks of life and sometimes differing political views, joined together on this important issue. During this show of support, we sent a message to Washington: we do not want offshore drilling in Georgia. We will not risk our beautiful, vibrant coastline with its saltmarshes that lead to a thriving ocean, a coastline that supports more than 20,000 jobs and contributes more than a billion dollars to the economy. This issue is clearly a priority for our state.
Emboldened with the belief that our waterways are worth keeping safe from potential drilling accidents like the one that devastated more than 600 miles of the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, on Jan. 28 I introduced House Resolution 48, The Resolution to Oppose Offshore Oil & Gas Exploration, which discourages seismic testing and oil and gas drilling off Georgia’s coast. The bill has been assigned to the House Natural Resources and the Environment Committee and I believe this is one of our defining moments as we strive to protect Georgia’s environment and the thousands of jobs that come from our waterways.
I believe we should be just as opposed to seismic testing and other energy exploration. Experts say sound waves used to find oil have such negative effects on fish and other marine mammals that they can become displaced from their habitats or even injured.
I’m urging every citizen of Georgia to call your legislator and ask them to stand with Georgia against offshore drilling and seismic testing. Standing against offshore drilling means you stand with the many businesses and people who work in jobs supported by our coastline. You’re standing with the restaurants that serve our delicious local seafood, the dolphin tour operator, the fisherman and the hotel owner on Tybee Island, among many others. To stand against offshore drilling means you stand against the possibility of an accident that can dump millions of barrels of oil into our life-giving wetlands. Standing against offshore drilling means you care not only about the natural beauty of our coastline but all the benefits that we reap from it. The 2010 BP oil spill affected beaches and wetlands from Texas all the way to Florida, and these communities are still feeling devastating economic and environmental consequences today.
I urge you to stand with a bipartisan group of legislators who value our environment and the economic benefits that we enjoy from it. Join us by opposing offshore drilling and make your voice known today. Please support HR 48 and together we can move Georgia forward.
Rep. Carl Gilliard is a Democrat who represents District 162, which includes Garden City. He is in his third term in the Georgia House of Representatives.