DATE: Monday, November 10, 1997             TAG: 9711100067

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  132 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - OUTER BANKS LEGASEA OPPOSES OFFSHORE DRILLING, TO HOLD MEETING TONIGHT

To the Editor:

Nine years ago the people of the Outer Banks were presented with the question of whether or not to welcome Mobil Oil to our communities so the company could drill offshore for natural gas. Over time many of us decided we were not comfortable with the environmental safeguards put into place by federal authorities. We petitioned our elected officials for more - and received them. To me it was a wonderful example of democracy at work.

It seems we are once again faced with a challenge to our shores.

Since the announcement that Chevron USA intends to petition the state to drill 35 miles off Hatteras Island, I've heard several people suggest that the company be given the green light, just to see whether there really is a sizable amount of oil or natural gas along our shores. What would be the harm, they ask, in sinking one exploratory well?

The answer is no harm at all - if only one well were drilled. But let's be realistic. If a major reservoir of gas or oil is discovered, it will be nearly impossible to stop Big Oil from draining it.

In the winter of 1988-89, when Mobil Oil announced plans to drill in almost exactly the same spot, a number of Dare County residents formed a group called LegaSea. Our purpose was to make sure that if offshore drilling occurred, that it would be done safely. We learned a lot in a short time - and we came away convinced that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to safely drill for fossil fuels in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Since there is already a surplus of gas and oil in American reserves, we believe there is no compelling reason to industrialize an ocean wilderness and to risk the beauty and stability of our communities.

Consider the following:

Hundreds, if not thousands, of oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere are sitting capped right now. The oil companies are waiting until the market is right (i.e., until prices rise) to open them.

Chevron proposes to drill in an area of strong currents, deep water (about 2,500 feet) and an unstable, shifting bottom. Oil companies have never drilled in an area with all three of these challenging factors.

The drill site is in an area known to fishermen as The Point, one of the most productive fishing grounds off the eastern United States. When commercial and charter boats leave Outer Banks ports, they often head for The Point.

It is impossible to say for certain whether the suspected deposit contains oil, natural gas or both.

In full production, there could be dozens of wells off our coast. For each one, 1,000 to 2,000 tons of drilling muds and cuttings laden with heavy metals would be dumped into the water.

The Sargasso seaweed commonly found at the drill site routinely washes up on Outer Banks beaches during the summer. That means any oil or toxic chemicals spilled at the site could also be carried here.

Deposits of ``clean'' natural gas often contain large amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which is toxic to many marine animals.

The arrival of the oil industry in coastal communities has historically caused an increase in crime, illegal gambling and prostitution. Although the main processing facilities might be located in Morehead City or Norfolk, oil workers would have to be flown offshore to rigs.

In most cases oil and gas facilities do not create many jobs for locals. The ``new'' jobs go to experienced out-of-staters.

Citizens of other beautiful, fragile coasts, including the Florida Keys and Bristol Bay, Alaska, have said an emphatic ``NO'' to offshore oil, for just these reasons.

LegaSea will hold an informational meeting for the public today at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Nags Head. We need your help! Please come with your questions and concerns.

Jan DeBlieu,

LegaSea Coordinating Committee

To the Editor:

The mismanagement of the Dare County School Board has struck again. This time nonprofit groups that wish to use a taxpayer owned facility, Manteo Middle School, must pay the price.

The most recent casualty is The Theatre of Dare, a nonprofit volunteer group that has produced live stage performances at Manteo Middle School since 1992. Although no fees were paid during those years, the group made cash donations to the school and allowed the use of its equipment and all volunteer personnel whenever requested.

The Dare County School Board has now decided to charge the group $75 a day for use of the school and $15 an hour for a custodian to be at the school to baby-sit while the group is in the school. Since the group has to be in the school for lengthy hours of preparation and rehearsal, the custodial fee is the most damaging. The cost of the current production, ``Arsenic and Old Lace,'' under the new fee structure is going to run approximately $2,500 to the school and another $1,500 in production costs. The show will only gross approximately $3,500, meaning at least a $500 loss or more to The Theatre of Dare.

All attempts to work out a compromise with the school board were denied. These included the establishment of a scholarship and a 20 percent share of the receipts from all shows. The Dare County School Board's only response was ``pay the required fees.''

In closing, I would like to know when enough is enough? The schools are owned by taxpayers and paid for by taxpayers. Aren't members of The Theatre of Dare and their audiences taxpayers and thus school owners? If so, why a fee? We could understand paying these fees if The Theatre of Dare was in business to make a profit, but this is not the case. Dare County is about to lose one of the few cultural activities available to Outer Banks residents.

The Dare County School Board mandate is affecting all nonprofit groups. The theater has been forced to cancel the remainder of its 1997 season due to these stiff fees. Thanks to the school board, live theater in Dare County is temporarily dead, but hopefully not gone. The Theatre of Dare is going to regroup and consider options for a season in 1998. In the meantime, how much longer do we have to tolerate the mismanagement and injustices of the Dare County School Board; only until the next election, we hope!

Michael and Theresa Hunter,

Manteo

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, we would like to express appreciation to all those who participated in this year's Health & Fitness Expo '97.

This year's event was a huge success, with 75 exhibitors and more than 1,200 guests attending the show. We would like to say a special thank you to our three sponsors and their representatives - Trish Blackmon of Albemarle Hospital, Pam Pascual-Clymer of Chesapeake General Hospital and Vonda Leffler of HealthEast Family Care - for their help in planning exhibits and underwriting expenses of the show.

Special thank yous go out to Kay Holt and the staff of the Outer Banks Mall for housing the show; Falcon Cable TV for hanging our banner; radio stations WNHW 92, WOBR 95.3, WRSF 105.7, WERX 102, WVOD 99.1 and WCXL 104.1 for their live remotes and commercials; Charlie Huff and the staff of The Virginian-Pilot/Carolina Coast for preparing the show program and promotions; The Coastland Times and Outer Banks Sentinel for show promotions; Ken White of BeachLink for use of sound equipment; the nutritional cooking team from Albemarle Hospital for the great samples and recipes; the 75 exhibitors; and all those who participated in the show.

This show is certainly a community effort and one of which the Outer Banks can be most proud. We look forward to working with you to plan next year's show!

John Bone and Angie Brady-Daniels,

Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu