Planned Oceana and NRDC Demonstration Outside Department of the Interior Building in Washington Is Deceitful and Misleading, According to International Association of Geophysical Contractors

HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - Oct 1, 2012) - A planned demonstration by environmental activists, Oceana and NRDC, outside the Department of the Interior Headquarters on Oct. 2, using handheld air horns to mimic the sound of air guns deployed in marine seismic surveys, is a distortion of the potential impact of sound on marine life, according to Chip Gill, president of the International Association of Geophysical Contractors. "But it's also a curious way to focus on the well-being of marine mammals.

"There are no documented cases of industry seismic surveys even injuring marine mammals. Yet peer reviewed scientific studies have shown that fishing by-catch kills hundreds of thousands of marine mammals globally each year. Given this monumental disparity, why not focus attention on where it can benefit the animals the most," Gill asked.

"Furthermore, seismic surveys are temporary and transitory. They are not only used by the oil and natural gas industry, but they are also critical to the safe siting of every wind turbine in an offshore wind farm. 

"Any seismic surveys which may be conducted on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) will provide critical information to governments and the public about its potential resource base. This information will be invaluable as our nation grapples with the important policy decisions to be made about OCS access.

"Oil and gas exploration is critical to the U.S. economy, and seismic surveys are critical to reducing the environmental risk associated with oil and gas production," Gill said. 

About IAGC
IAGC is the international trade association representing the industry that provides geophysical services (geophysical data acquisition, seismic data ownership and licensing, geophysical data processing and interpretation, and associated service and product providers) to the oil and gas industry (IAGC.org).

For reference material on Marine Mammal Protection, see http://www.iagc.org/MarineEnvironment/GovernmentInformation/.

For a video overview of marine seismic operations, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XlI6rp5F48.