On Dec. 3, Governor’s Office spokesman Ford Porter issued the following statement on NOAA’s decision to grant incidental harassment authorizations to companies, a step toward opening the Atlantic Coast to seismic testing:

“Seismic testing that opens the door to offshore drilling threatens marine mammals and our fragile ocean ecosystem and is simply not worth the risk to North Carolina’s coastal communities, tourism economy and commercial fishing industry. Governor Cooper has made clear that North Carolina is opposed to this kind of seismic testing and will continue to take steps to protect our coast from the threat of offshore drilling.”

At the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting the same day, Chairman Robert L. Woodard noted NOAA’s approval for five different companies to conduct seismic surveys in the same identified area.

Woodard said the administration’s decision came as a surprise. He thought it would be January 2019 before a decision was reached.

Dare’s board is on record opposing seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean.

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