Federal Permit Request to Conduct Seismic Surveying in the Atlantic Ocean

The Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, DHEC is accepting public comment on a request for review of an application from WesternGeco, a company proposing seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean related to oil and gas resource development off the South Carolina coast.

WesternGeco is proposing to conduct a Marine Geophysical Survey via 2D seismic testing off the South Carolina coast to gather geological and geophysical data that could provide information about the feasibility of future development of offshore oil and gas resources. The survey would involve a vessel towing seismic airgun arrays.

In 2015, the City of Isle of Palms passed resolutions opposing offshore drilling off our coast. Every coastal community and our state leadership is united in our efforts to protect our vibrant communities, our pristine coast and our thriving fishing and tourism industries. South Carolina's tourism industry, driven by coastal communities, contributes $22.6 billion dollars to the state's economy per year. Difficulties in offshore oil drilling make it a dangerous, accident prone industry with the potential for future spills that would impact South Carolina's beaches and result in cumulative impacts to our state's coastal ecosystems and economy for years to come.

Documents pertaining to the proposed project are available on the OCRM-SCDHEC website.

How to Comment

To be considered, comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on July 1, 2019.

Written comments may be submitted directly into the Department's ePermitting Portal through this link under the Comments tab.

Additionally, written comments can also be submitted to Dan Burger of the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, DHEC, 1362 McMillan Avenue, Suite 400, Charleston, S.C., 29405; or by email at OCRMCZC@dhec.sc.gov.