Several organizations are hosting a public meeting in opposition to offshore oil drilling on Tuesday, June 6, at the Northeast Regional Library in Wilmington from 6-7:30 p.m.

Those in attendance will discuss the negative consequences of offshore drilling and seismic blasting with residents and community leaders. The purpose of the meeting is to put into place an action plan to defeat federal attempts to reopen Atlantic waters to offshore drilling.

The meeting comes on the heels of an executive order directing the U.S. Department of the Interior to review areas in the Arctic and Atlantic that have been closed to oil and natural gas exploration.

Offshore oil drilling and seismic testing have been linked to oil spills and marine life disturbances. Coastal communities in North Carolina have previously expressed opposition at attempts to lease Atlantic waters to these activities out of fears such moves would impact coastal industries, including tourism.

The hosting organizations include the North Carolina Coastal Federation, Oceana, the Cape Fear Chapter of the N.C. Sierra Club and the Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Other organizations are expected to be in attendance.

The meeting will be held in the David M. Paynter Assembly Room of the library.

Learn More

For more information about this meeting or about offshore oil drilling, contact Mike Giles at mikeg@nccoast.org or 910-509-2838

Read the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s response to the recent executive order