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GREEN
PARTY OF MISSISSIPPI
OPPOSES OFFSHORE DRILLING ON
MISSISSIPPI
GULF COAST
April 28, 2005
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Counties of Jackson, Harrison, and Hancock
In opposition to recent
proposed Mississippi legislation that would permit off-shore drilling on
the Gulf Coast, the Green Party of Mississippi is proud to show its opposition
to the destruction of 225,000 acres of water bottoms of the Mississippi Sound
for oil and gas exploration.
The proposed drilling
legislation would transfer control of the permitting process from the Department
of Environmental Quality to the Mississippi Development Authority. Governor
Haley Barbour, a former oil industry lobbyist, received over $300,000 from gas
and sources during his campaign for governor.
Drilling would destroy
wildlife, degrade the barrier islands, and ruin the tourism industry on the Gulf
Coast. If the barrier islands are damaged, the protection that they provide
during hurricanes would be diminished and loss of human life is the likely
result.
The Green Party of
Mississippi supports the efforts of Gulf Islands Conservancy and the Sierra Club
of Mississippi to prevent drilling and to preserve our natural treasures.
“We need to do all we can
to protect the Mississippi Gulf Coast environmentally, and to avoid further
challenges to safety and a flourishing economy,” said Michael J. Dixon of Ocean
Springs, District 4 member of the Green Party of Mississippi Executive
Committee.
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