Governor Cooper urges Trump Administration to exempt NC from offshore drilling plan

“The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) clearly outlines a deliberative, inclusive and lengthy review process before any preliminary leasing proposals are finalized”.

“The Chesapeake Bay and the Commonwealth’s ocean and coastal resources are every bit as ecologically and economically valuable as those of Florida“, Northam said. The Interior chief met with Scott in Tallahassee, FL, on Tuesday before announcing that the state would be excluded.

“Quite frankly, Gov. Scott called me and [also] expressed in writing a desire to have a meeting”, he said. Unless you are Florida, for some reason.

In a vacuum, Zinke’s decision to protect the Florida shoreline due to the state’s heavy economic reliance on its coasts for tourism actually makes a ton of sense – the problem is, that argument makes sense for tons of other states, too, including California, New Jersey, Maryland, and the Carolinas.

Zinke’s decision came after meeting with Governor Scott earlier in the day Tuesday to discuss the governor’s objections to drilling off Florida’s coast, according to The Hill.

“As a result of discussion with Governor Scott’s and his leadership, I am removing Florida from consideration for any new oil and gas platforms”, Secretary Zinke said in a statement posted on Twitter.

By opening these areas to drilling, the Trump Administration will be acting counter to the best available science – and the will of coastal communities.

President Randall Luthi issued the following statement on Secretary Zinke’s recent announcement regarding Florida offshore waters. But on Tuesday, following objections from Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Zinke said Florida would be exempt from the plan.

“Just like with mining, not all areas are appropriate for offshore drilling, and we will take that into consideration in the coming weeks”, Zinke said in a January 4 statement. A plan put forward by President George W. Bush in the final days of his administration included a total of 31 sales after the lifting of long-standing congressional moratoria covering much of the West and East coasts, but it was never likely to be implemented. “Let’s figure out how we can do it safely”.

“Today, 69 percent of Californians oppose offshore drilling”, KPCC reports.

So why not do the smart thing and rescind the proposal to open the federal waters to more drilling, and let the local non-oil economies chug along without fear of oil-covered birds, dead fisheries and tarry beaches?

Last week, the Trump administration revealed a proposal that would open up previously protected areas to offshore drilling for oil.

We applaud Governor Roy Cooper for standing up for our coast and opposing offshore drilling alongside a bi-partisan group of Atlantic Coast governors; including Florida, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and SC.

“New York doesn’t want drilling off our coast either”, tweeted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. ‘Where do we sign up for a waiver @SecretaryZinke?’ An hour after an email of the governor’s new schedule went out, Zinke and Scott were meeting face-to-face.

Kill Devil Hills Mayor Sheila Davies, who has taken an active role in opposing offshore drilling, said that, “Given the direction the administration has been going, I’m not surprised by this, but I am extremely disappointed”. A moratorium on drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico is in place through 2022. “If the Department’s proposal could potentially result in such drilling in Maryland’s coastal waters, you are hereby directed to commence and prosecute any viable legal claims, actions or suits against the US government to prevent it”. Rep. Walter Jones, who represents coastal North Carolina including the Outer Banks, told Business Insider that states should have ultimate control over their water and any state should be given a wavier if the governor requests it.