Oil Drilling Again Threatens the Mississippi
Sound, but GIC, Sierra Club Plan to
Take Action--Get involved!
by Carroll Campbell
This article first appeared in the Sept/Oct., 2004 of Shorelines, the
newsletter of the Gulf Islands Conservancy
OilOnline reported on March 9, 2004 the Mississippi legislature had
“tentatively approved several measures that could lead to drilling in
the Mississippi Sound just south of the Barrier Islands.” That
legislation, drafted by oil industry executive Joe Simms, opened up an
astonishing 225,000 acres of water bottoms in the Mississippi sound
for oil and gas exploration and drilling, a potentially lucrative
sweetheart deal for the oil and gas industry in Mississippi—that citizens
could end up paying for. Most outrageously of all, the legislation
passed despite strong opposition--not only public opposition voiced to
state representatives and senators, but also opposition from the
seafood industry, gaming industry, and our 500-million-dollar-per-year
tourism industry. The damage drilling in Coastal waters could do to
Mississippi’s major industries makes this a deal that could “kill the
goose that laid the golden egg,” in the words of Sierra Club
representative Louie Miller.
Citizens deprived of representation,
recourse, voice
This legislation excludes the citizens of the Coastal counties from
involvement in two ways. First of all, it delegates control of the
permitting process from the geologic division of the Department of
Environmental Quality, the appropriate public agency, to the
Mississippi Development Authority—thereby giving over public
environmental interest to oversight by a state business agency whose
goal of profit opposes the conservation of the public’s resources. The
Mississippi Development Authority reports directly to Governor Haley
Barbour, a former oil industry lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Second,
the legislation prevents Gulf Coast citizens from having recourse
through their court system because it moves appeals of drilling
proposals from the Coastal Counties, whose citizens will be affected by
the drilling, to Hinds County.
Oil” continued from page 1
A Sweetheart Deal for Campaign Contributors
Coincidentally enough, the officials and representatives who ushered in
this new legislation were also heavily funded by the oil industry, as the
Sierran article notes. For example, Haley Barbour, whose MDR now
oversees permitting for the exploration, received in excess of
$300,000 in campaign contributions from oil and gas for his run for the
governor’s seat. The article also notes that Senator Tommy Moffatt
received thousands in contributions from oil and gas interests. This is
very disturbing, as he chairs the Senate Environment Committee and
represents Jackson County! You couldn’t ask for a more clear-cut case
of a quid-pro-quo corporate giveaway.
What will happen to the Coast if exploration and drilling go
forward?
Oil and gas drilling have been disastrous in other states. Similar
drilling in Louisiana has already caused massive loss of Coastal
wetlands, and oil pipelines are leaking into Louisiana waters because of
damage caused by Hurricane Ivan. However, as Sierra Club
representative Louie Miller points out, “If you really want to see what
oil and gas drilling do, just visit Dauphin Island,” where the beach is
now filthy from household-type garbage that washes up on shore—
plastic rings, soda bottles, apple cores—just thrown over the sides of
the rigs. Even worse, “there is always a sheen of oil on the water”
surrounding the island, notes Miller, and that is not only unsightly but
ecologically dangerous. Ultimately, oil and gas drilling has ruined
Dauphin Island for tourism, for enjoyment by the local population, and
has lowered property values in coastal Alabama, says Miller. Now
directional drilling for oil has almost exhausted the deposits south of
Alabama, and that’s why the oil and gas industry wants to invade our
own waters. There are several reason this would not be appropriate
development for the Mississippi Gulf Coast:
 Degradation of the barrier islands In a state with very little
public land, the barrier islands are, in Miller’s words, the “crown
jewels” of Coastal tourism and state wildlife conservation.
However, the dredging involved in oil and gas exploration and
drilling will erode the islands. As oil and gas are withdrawn,
portions of the land surrounding the islands will sink in order to
fill the vacuum that results. As land subsides, or sinks, the
islands become more vulnerable to “washover” during
hurricanes. This is pretty much what it sounds like: the islands
could be more easily washed away by storm surges and winds.

Coastal residents will pay in dollars, loss of life If our
barrier islands are damaged and ultimately lost, diminished coastal
protection from hurricane winds and storm surges will result. This
means greater property damage costs to Coast dwellers’ homes and
businesses,
costs that residents, the federal government, or insurance companies
will have to pay. A further potential upshot could be loss of human life
from increased flooding. Ninety percent of deaths during hurricanes
result from drowning, not winds and tornadoes.
 Short term economic gain of exploration and drilling
compromises long-term economic benefits of our major
industries Exploration and drilling will damage the marine
ecology that sustains our fishing industry and eco-tourism—thus
leading to another point of economic fallout for the Mississippi
Gulf Coast. The seismic procedures involved in exploration, for
example, are dangerous for marine mammals, disorienting and
sometimes killing them, but the procedures also drive fish away,
such as the big game fish that attract tourism, as well as smaller
fishes that supply the seafood industry. Also, the pipelines that
will have to be built will cause loss of bottom habitat for fish and
shellfish. The seafood industry is already jeopardized by
overfishing and wetlands destruction; exploration and drilling will
be yet another strike against it. Finally, the waste and garbage
associated with oil rigs will ruin the beauty of the barrier islands
so that they can no longer be enjoyed by tourists or residents.
 Increased mercury contamination of local fishes The Coast
has already seen several advisories against consuming local fish
contaminated with mercury, and the Sun Herald and Mobile
Register have reported on the local mercury problem. Oil rigs
south of our islands would exacerbate that problem.
Methylmercury, the form found in fish that is harmful to humans,
is a potent neurotoxin linked to the increase in rates of autism
and cognitive health issues among American children, and can
even harm healthy adults if ingested in large enough quantities.
Every year an astounding 158 tons of mercury is emitted into
the atmosphere by human activities, mostly from coal-fired
power plants, but a significant source is the drilling muds
(lubricating fluids) used on oil rigs. The drilling muds eventually
become mixed with the natural sediments under the rigs, which
attract fish because they provide shelter. The fish ingest
mercury-tainted microorganisms in the sediment—and at the
other end of the food chain is the pregnant or lactating woman
or her young child consuming Coastal fish laced with mercury.
(For detailed information on mercury, see the Gulf Restoration
Network website, http://www.gulfrestorationnetwork.org/.)
What happens next?
Exploration and drilling for oil and gas could have severely negative
impacts on the Coast. However, groups such as the Gulf Islands
Conservancy and the Sierra Club want to make sure our Coastal
waters are preserved, along with the seafood and tourism industries
that are the cornerstones of our economy and our way of life. Now
that the legislation has passed, there are three arenas for fighting it.
First of all, it can be resisted legislatively. Also, oil exploration and
drilling can be stopped administratively on the basis of individual
permit applications, as prospective companies still must proceed
through a permitting process. Importantly, citizens can contact,
question and monitor the permit-granting agencies, in this case the
Mississippi Development Authority. Finally, it can be challenged
judicially, as the removal of the appeals process from the Coast to
Hinds County will ultimately be challenged in the courts.
What Concerned Citizens Can Do
Contact Us! The Gulf Islands Conservancy and the Sierra Club
enthusiastically welcomes citizen input and involvement. If you’d
like to contribute to our effort, please contact Louis Skrmetta, GIC,
228-323-1668; email, shipisland@cableone.net OR Louis Miller of the
Sierra Club, 601-359-1026; P.O. Box 4335, Jackson, Mississippi
39296-4335; email, louie.miller@sierraclub.org.
Contact MDR! Concerned citizens can also call the agency that now
oversees oil and gas permitting, the Mississippi Development
Authority. Call and ask to speak to Scott Hamilton, Communications
Director, at 601-359-3041, and ask about the new leasing, public
hearings, and permitting process they will be overseeing now that
exploration and drilling applications are in their hands. Let them
know you’re paying attention! We’ll keep you posted on further
ways you can get involved.
Don’t forget to Support GIC! Join, renew, and encourage your
friends and family to support us as well through financial contributions
and volunteer work. Spread the word about GIC and the work we do
on behalf of Mississippi’s ecology.