A report released Tuesday disputes the supposed economic impact of oil and gas drilling plans for coastal waters off Georgia.
The Obama administration is considering opening up large swaths of the Atlantic Ocean, from Virginia to Georgia, to drilling.
The study, prepared for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said Georgia's coastal tourism and fishing industries are more sustainable and economically important than the exaggerated claims of the oil and gas companies.
The four states tally nearly 250,000 “ocean-related jobs” — shrimpers, waiters, truckers and hoteliers — and $15 billion in revenues dependent upon the Atlantic. Chatham County alone reaps $600 million annually from ocean-based industries.
“Any predicted employment and economic gains must be weighed against possible losses to existing economies as a result of onshore industrialization, routine contamination, construction activities and the threat of major oil spills,” the report declared.
The American Petroleum Institute, in its 2013 report, says Georgia would reap $430 million a year by 2035 due to offshore exploration and development spending. And 5,000 jobs would be created.
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