Surfside Beach is open for feedback on offshore drilling. What do you think?
Similar to other Grand Strand municipalities, the Town of Surfside Beach passed an ordinance that banned exploring oil and gas of the town’s coast.
Under President Trump, the the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM, stated they’ll be revisiting the possibility of opening the South Carolina coast to oil exploration through the recently created 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
As a result, town officials could consider passing a new ordinance that would reverse the ban. When reached by phone on Tuesday, Mayor Robert Krouse said he’s received approximately eight emails and about a dozen comments on Facebook about the matter.
This conversation started after a federal agency and Oceana reached out to the town, Krouse said.
“So they reached out and pointed out that the council in 2015 passed a resolution opposing it, and asked if we would do it again,” he said. “And this is one where I think it’s appropriate to try to gauge the residency and get their opinions. I don’t, you know, do a lot of polls and surveys, necessarily, but this was one I thought was appropriate.”
Krouse also sent out a survey to constituents for feedback on the proposed reversal. He said he would look at those results over the weekend.
“We will either oppose it or say nothing,” Krouse said over the phone when asked what this new resolution could mean for the 2015 ordinance.
That decision will be made clear at the town council’s next meeting on June 10, when Krouse said they’ll go one what or another.
What do you think about drilling offshore in South Carolina?
This story was originally published June 6, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
