Led by U.S. Reps Mark Sanford, R-S.C., and Bobby Scott, D-Va., a bipartisan group of 33 house members last week sent a letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management opposing seismic testing for offshore oil.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, the Republican freshman whose district spans the Georgia Coast, did not sign on.

The letter requested a halt to the permitting and review process for potential seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia through Georgia.

Seismic testing uses airguns towed behind ships to send loud blasts of compressed air deep into the ocean. The sound travels into the sea floor and then bounces back to the ships, creating a map of possible oil deposits.

It’s controversial because of its effects on marine life.

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