Jacksonville, FL – A resolution to ban seismic airgun testing in coastal waters off Northeast Florida failed to pass in Jacksonville’s City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. The vote was 9 – 9 in what was the last meeting before the new council begins its term in July. Proponents said it was a temporary ban to protect Florida’s coastal region until more studies can be done. But opponents countered that seismic testing has already been studied and a ban would send the wrong message to business and energy interests looking to do business in Jacksonville. Two scientists gave opposing viewpoints, leaving some members of the council unclear about the facts and wanting more information.
Introducing the resolution, Councilman Jim Love said, “Much of Florida’s economy is dependent on healthy and sustainable coastal resources. The state of Florida recommends that we delay [seismic testing].” He was referring to an April 2015 report released by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection asking the federal government to delay permitting pending further studies.
Both Stephen Joost and Lori Boyer voted in favor of the resolution, citing the DEP report. Joost had voted against the resolution in the Rules committee meeting a week earlier, but changed his mind after reading the DEP report, finding it “pretty weighty” for “ a state run by a conservative governor who’s the ‘jobs governor’” to call for a ban. Boyer echoed Joost’s remarks, stating, “I don’t think we are in any way overstepping our bounds to go along with the state’s position on this.”
Councilman John Crescimbeni told members the ban wouldn’t necessarily be permanent. “It’s simply an opposition until we get more valid data with regard to what kind of impact this would have.”
But Councilmen Richard Clark and Robin Lumb disagreed with the need for more studies. Clark said, “There’s been seismic testing going on in the Gulf of Mexico for decades. We don’t see swaths of animals washing up on the beach there.” Lumb called on proponents to “provide some compelling evidence that this is genuinely harmful.”
Love asked Dr. Quinton White to address safety concerns. White has been a professor of biology and marine science at Jacksonville University for 40 years and is Executive Director of JU’s Marine Science Research Institute. White said the Rules committee had been given “misinformation” by a representative of the oil and gas industry which involved understating the intensity of the blasting that occurs during seismic testing. “I’m here as a private citizen. I’m not paid to be here,” he said, and expressed concern about the impact of blasting on eggs and larvae of marine animals. He urged the council to read a report prepared by international conservation group Oceana, which he said “document[s] the scientific evidence by peer-reviewed scientists.”
Councilman Lumb called Dr. Robert Gisiner to address the Oceana research. Gisiner is the director for marine environmental science and biology for the International Association of Geophysical Contractors and has been hired by the seismic industry to speak about testing. Last week he made a presentation to the Rules committee stating that seismic testing has been going on for decades with no proven harm to the environment and he criticized the accuracy of Oceana’s research.
Councilmen Clay Yarborough and Reggie Gaffney expressed a need for more facts before voting in favor of a resolution.
Carter and Lumb were concerned about such a resolution tarnishing the city’s image. Carter said, “I think Jacksonville is on the verge of being on the forefront of the energy sector for the country and I would hate to see us get in the way and put roadblocks that we don’t necessarily need to put out there.”
Lumb added, “We’ve got GE locating a plant to do valves for the petroleum industry out there at Cecil Field. You’ve got a couple of major energy companies looking to re-site LNG refueling facilities here in Northeast Florida. I think [the resolution would] send the wrong message.”
Councilman Bill Gulliford said that he was personally opposed to the resolution, but three cities in his jurisdiction – Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach – have passed resolutions so he felt compelled to represent them with a “yes” vote.
Voting for the resolution to ban seismic testing were Greg Anderson, Bill Bishop, Lori Boyer, John Crescimbeni, Bill Gulliford, Warren Jones, Stephen Joost, Jim Love and Don Redman.
Voting against were Reggie Brown, Doyle Carter, Richard Clark, Reggie Gaffney, Ray Holt, Denise Lee, Robin Lumb, Matt Shellenberg and Clay Yarborough.
Kimberly Daniels was absent.
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