Drill baby, drill?

[JABIII]

Federal government considering South Carolina coast for offshore drilling

Offshore drilling is once again under consideration off the coast of South Carolina, but not by locals.
By Nick Reagan

Jun. 2, 2025

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Offshore drilling is once again under consideration off the coast of South Carolina, but not by locals.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is redoing its 5-year plan, which involves evaluating the American coastline for potential sites to drill for oil.

Over the last 10 years, President Donald Trump has pushed for unlocking America’s energy potential with campaign taglines like, “drill, baby, drill.”

However, South Carolinians have been clear that they do not want any drilling off the coast. It’s one of the few issues Democrats and Republicans in the state come together on.

Despite state and local moratoriums on drilling, though, the federal government is looking everywhere for its National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Program.

Taylor Allred, the Coastal Conservation League’s energy and climate program director, says they are already fighting to keep South Carolina out of these crosshairs. He says the state is reliant on tourism, an industry based on its beaches and waters along the coastlines.

“South Carolina’s economy relies very heavily on the health of our marine ecosystem,” Allred said. “That includes our $20 billion tourism industry and our $6 billion marine economy that employs about 80,000 people. We really don’t want to see that destroyed for the sake of short-term profit.”

He says drilling for oil can damage delicate ecosystems and construction can put endangered animals at risk, not to mention what an oil spill could do.

“A major spill could devastate our coastal ecosystem for decades,” Allred said. “One of the most critical habitats that we have is known as the Blake Plateau and that is home to one of the largest deep-sea corals known in the entire world and that is really the driver for rich fisheries in South Carolina.”

Right now, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s plan is open for public comment.

Allred says even a short comment against offshore drilling can go a long way to protecting South Carolina.

To submit a comment before the June 16 deadline, click here.


https://www.live5news.com/2025/06/02...outputType=amp

[Jay]

The tourist are doing more harm than the drilling would.

[Sasha and Abby]

Let them drill... can you imagine the jobs and better fishing it would make? There is ALWAYS a chance for a spill anywhere. All offshore areas want to protect tourism and it happens so sporadically as to be insignificant

[duckcrazed]

I'm fine with drilling...as long as all of the infrastructure in Myrtle Beach...

[Glenn]

80 hundred and 11 boats rippin' in and out of marinas on the daily leaving little floating rainbows all over the water and these googans are worried about a "might" happen while overlooking the "is" happening.

Only government...

[Tater]

[JABIII]

Thousands of feet deep and 135mi offshore, they can keep the fishing. As Glenn mentions, Charleston would suffer from the support boats far more than they would from a leak out there that would mostly wind up at Hatteras...

[Palmetto Bug]

From what I've seen in the gulf, oil pollution isn't nearly the problem as is litter, plastic bottles and other crap that blows off the rigs. Some of the remote and obscure beaches of Louisiana look like recycling dumps. Of course that trash from rigs off our coast would also end up in Hatteras.

When I become king, littering laws will be enforced by snipers.

[cajunwannabe]

The fishing structure alone that those rigs provide is incredible!

Buddy of mine sent me this pic last week. 150 NM out in the Gulf of America. A week ago he watched charters smashing tuna around the rig.

Drill, Baby Drill!

[Glenn]

From what I've seen in the gulf, oil pollution isn't nearly the problem as is litter, plastic bottles and other crap that blows off the rigs. Some of the remote and obscure beaches of Louisiana look like recycling dumps. Of course that trash from rigs off our coast would also end up in Hatteras.

When I become king, littering laws will be enforced by snipers.

If what I clean up from the two little creeks on my property up here are a proportional representation of trash flowing down water ways, then I’d attribute most of that to what comes out of NO and all points north.

The Mississippi River is a liquid trashcan.

[Palmetto Bug]

It's surprising how much trash and litter gets transported to the very interior of my property by normally dry ditches that cut through. SC might be the litter capital of the country and Dorchester County claims the prize for the state.

I travel a good bit and one of the first things I notice about any place is the litter or lack thereof. SC is disgusting and embarrassing when it comes to litter. I can't think of any place I've been, including other countries, that has as bad a litter problem as SC.

[Saltydog235]

250 gal X 1.2mpg = 300 miles, not enough reserve, going to have to get a bigger boat if they put them 135 miles out. That Freeman 35 is calling my name as if I needed another reason to want it.

[Sportin' Woodies]

And rawanda has better roads

[Chuck the Duck Slayer]

It's surprising how much trash and litter gets transported to the very interior of my property by normally dry ditches that cut through. SC might be the litter capital of the country and Dorchester County claims the prize for the state.

I travel a good bit and one of the first things I notice about any place is the litter or lack thereof. SC is disgusting and embarrassing when it comes to litter. I can't think of any place I've been, including other countries, that has as bad a litter problem as SC.

Mississippi might beat SC on litter. I know Mississippi has worse roads than SC.

[smitch320]

It's surprising how much trash and litter gets transported to the very interior of my property by normally dry ditches that cut through. SC might be the litter capital of the country and Dorchester County claims the prize for the state.

I travel a good bit and one of the first things I notice about any place is the litter or lack thereof. SC is disgusting and embarrassing when it comes to litter. I can't think of any place I've been, including other countries, that has as bad a litter problem as SC.

I spent some time recently in California, Newport Beach area. I was amazed at how littered the beaches were. Filthy. Mainly amazon packages, bottles, cans, cigarettes, among other things.

Was really surprised.

[smitch320]

Mississippi might beat SC on litter. I know Mississippi has worse roads than SC.

"Thank God for Mississippi"

[CurLee]

Drive on to Padre Island and go south a few miles past where the gringos congregate. Trash filled beaches and none of the litter has english print on it. It all flows up from south of the border and deposits on our soil...THAT is their culture. That culture has ballooned over the past few decades in the south and beyond. Modelo bottles, Tecate cans and dirty diapers are now our roadside flowers....

[CurLee]

I'm not discounting the hambeast family leavings of wendys/McDonald's bags so they can track their way back to town the next morning to their fried breakfasts'es....they are complicit as well.....