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685,000 Reasons To Say No More

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By ERIN ALLWEISS

Special to the Tribune

Published: September 18, 2008

Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary fell on the heels of the Democratic convention, the start of the Republican convention and in the midst of Hurricane Gustav. Now we are faced with recovery from Ike while, on the floors of Congress, the debate continues over how to address our nation's energy needs.

While those allied with Big Oil argue we should drill and only drill, there are serious consequences for expanding offshore drilling in certain areas.

As a native of New Orleans, I feel a deep connection to this issue. Having returned dozens of times to the city since Katrina, my most vivid memory is of St. Bernard Parish, an area adjacent to the Lower Ninth Ward, which was devastated by an oil spill. On my first visit post-Katrina, I drove with my family through the wreckage. The floodwaters had lifted a storage tank, spilling more than 25,000 of its 65,000 barrels of mixed crude oil.

The spill destroyed 1,700 homes and thousands of lives.

While some argue that drilling is safe, hurricanes Katrina and Rita alone resulted in 125 spills from platforms, rigs and pipelines, totaling 685,000 gallons. The memory of Hurricane Katrina, and the neighborhoods and wetlands destroyed by oil spills, are grave reminders of the worst consequences of offshore drilling.

As we look to drill off the coasts of Florida, the Carolinas and Georgia - all members of the infamous "Hurricane Alley" - St. Bernard Parish should serve as a warning.

Three years after Katrina, parts of St. Bernard Parish are still an oil slick.

Three years after Katrina, the Government Accountability Office released a report saying that the city of New Orleans is not even close to being done cleaning up its mess, including the oil residue that cakes parts of the city.

Three years after Katrina, more hurricanes are brewing. Last month, Tropical Storm Fay hit the coast of Florida not once, not twice, not three times, but four.

Early this month, Hurricane Gustav pounded the Gulf shores, forcing my family and millions of others to flee New Orleans and surrounding areas.

And Hurricane Ike, the most recent storm, sent oil companies scrambling.

Exposing parts of our coastal communities to deadly risk just isn't worth it, yet congressional allies of oil companies believe we should drill, drill, drill and drill more. What we need instead is to invest in clean, homegrown American energy that will end our dependence on foreign oil without destroying our coasts.

Last week the House of Representatives unveiled a bill that would invest in renewable energy technologies. Although it would allow for drilling off our coasts, states can choose to opt out of the drilling. Most importantly, the bill contains important provisions for renewable electricity standards, green building codes, and investments in wind and solar energy - neither of which can spill or run out.

This will not only insulate us from global oil spikes, but it will create millions of green jobs to jumpstart the Gulf Coast's devastated economy.

Unfortunately, congressional allies of Big Oil want to make this bill just about drilling. Right now, they are planning to change the bill, potentially by stripping the good, renewable energy provisions and allowing drilling everywhere - even in vulnerable, hurricane-prone areas.

It will be to the detriment of America's energy future if these provisions are removed, especially because America is ready now for bold leadership on a better way forward. Congress needs to make sure this bill does more than just advance our addiction to oil.

The 685,000 gallons of oil spilled in New Orleans is one of the many reasons we should not simply risk our hurricane-prone coasts. With the memories of Katrina still fresh and engrained in the American conscience, let's consider these consequences and move forward with investments in clean, renewable energy.

Erin Allweiss is press secretary for Legislative Affairs for the Natural Resources Defense Council. She can be contacted at eallweiss@nrdc.org.

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