The environment might actually be improved if we allowed drilling for oil at a good distance out and prohibited any more destruction of the shoreline by condos, extensive parking lots, sewage spills, stormwater runoff, traffic, etc. More locals might also earn a living wage. If we aren't going to drill within 100 miles, we shouldn't excavate sand either within that range to use for beach restoration. We are already causing more environmental harm to our beaches by scraping, seawalls than would probably ever be caused by oil development. Ships transporting the oil from foreign countries sail by and who knows what they spill along the way.
no. If we had drilled for oil instead of developing houses, condos, etc. along the shore, IMO, our shoreline would be in better shape today. We'd probably still have miles of huge sanddunes, less stormwater runoff, etc. The oil companies have been much better stewards than many of the condo developers. Some developers here have a corporate understanding of the environment, others do not, and have not, over the years. Millions of tax dollars would not have been spent pushing sand around or trying to save houses that will eventually fall into the Gulf. At this point, we could have oil drilling and it would have the potential of not causing any more harm to the environment and probably less than the building we are currently in the process of doing. If we drilled the oil ourselves, the transportation could be much cleaner than the current shipping in of over 60% foreign oil.
