Place: Padre Island National Seashore (Texas/Gulf of Mexico)
Threat: Natural Gas Drilling
 Padre Island National Seashore is
one of the most visited recreation
areas in Texas, drawing 800,000
visitors a year on average.
People
come to Padre to fish, to be with
their families in nature, and to enjoy
the beach. Padre Island is the
longest unbroken barrier island in the
United States. Unlike the resort
town of South Padre Island, Padre
Island National Seashore is the
longest undeveloped barrier island in
the world. It represents one of the largest roadless areas in Texas and offers habitat to 17
threatened and endangered species, including five of the world’s seven sea turtles. The
dunes offer protection to the island and to the mainland from high winds and tides and
heavy storms. Behind the dunes lies a vast train of wetland habitat for hundreds of
species of birds and other animals.
BNP Petroleum announced what they call an “aggressive drilling campaign” for natural
gas on Padre Island National Seashore. This petroleum company and their foreign
investors are carrying out their plan to drill up to 18 wells on the seashore over the next
30 years. The construction of each gas well will require up to 20 heavy trucks per day
hauling in machinery. The fragile place would see bulldozers bashing roads through the
dunes and the roadless wildlands and threatening surrounding wetlands with
contamination.
Because the gas rights under Padre are owned by private individuals and by the State of
Texas, the National Park Service currently must allow access to the drilling rights.
However, the Bush administration has not been willing to seek a positive solution to
protect this special area, but more than willing to offer these lease sales. The total amount
of natural gas estimated to lie under Padre Island National Seashore is roughly equal to
the amount that Americans consume in a single day.
“Apparently, the administration is willing to sacrifice this gem even though the benefits
for the local economy and energy supplies are neglible,” says Felicia Kongable of Austin,
Texas. “There is only enough gas under the Park to provide a single day's worth of fuel.
And the vast majority of BNP drilling profits will go to foreign investors in Asia and
Australia. Should Texans -- and all Americans -- be expected to sacrifice our natural
heritage for this?”
Padre Island National Seashore contributes $39 million to the local economy through
tourism each year. But the number of visitors to the park drops dramatically – by 19
percent – during the drilling phase. Sixty to 70 percent of the profits from the drilling
will go offshore to BNP’s investors in Australia, Japan, and Canada. The drilling will not
significantly contribute to America’s energy needs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil,
or help the local economy.
“Padre Island is a Texas – and national – treasure and should not be converted to a oil and
gas superhighway,” says Chris Wilhite with the Sierra Club in Texas. “There is a better
way. Padre Island National Seashore belongs to all Americans. The American public
should have the right to protect its natural heritage from irresponsible oil and gas
development that will never be able to meet domestic demand.”
We need an honest, balanced energy plan that gives us cleaner, cheaper and safer energy
solutions and preserves special refuges of America’s natural heritage like Padre Island
National Seashore. Rather than continue to ruin America’s natural heritage, the Bush
administration has the opportunity to protect Padre Island National Seashore from drilling
forever. The best way to protect the national seashore from drilling is for the federal
government to buy the oil and gas rights under the park, and retire them permanently. In
this way, the original intent of the park to protect nature for our children and theirs will
fully be realized.
Sierra Club Contact:
Chris Wilhite, Texas: (512) 472-9094
Additional Info:
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