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Belmar, NJ – U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-6) today pledged to fight a new Interior Department proposal to allow drilling in the mid-Atlantic in an area off the Virginia coast. The drilling would occur less than 100 miles from the New Jersey Coast – close enough for spills to affect New Jersey beaches – and would be the first step towards further drilling in the Atlantic.
“For five years, this administration has looked to drill anywhere they can put an oil rig and now they are heading straight for the Jersey shore,” said Menendez. “If this plan goes forward, you can be assured that the president and his oil company friends will be back next year with a plan to drill in another area—maybe even off the shore here in Belmar. We cannot allow oil rigs to spoil our shoreline or oil spills to threaten our delicate ecosystem.”
“Despite two decades of bipartisan support from previous administrations and Congress to prevent drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, there are many in Washington who can't wait to put drilling rigs off our coastline,” Pallone said. "We've fought them back in the past, but they're trying every trick in the book to undo the moratoria. Not only is this a potential direct threat to our coastline, it's another step in a slippery slope towards undoing the protections we have for our shores."
“The answer to our country’s addiction to oil is not another ‘fix’ offshore. Right now, we can reduce our energy use through efficiency and conservation, while researching many other alternatives,” said Kari Jermansen, Outreach Director for Clean Ocean Action. “Our economy greatly depends on a clean and healthy ocean. The bottom line is that oil and water don’t mix.”
Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, the Secretary of the Interior is required to submit 5-year leasing programs that specify the time, location, and size of leases to be offered. Since 1982, Congress has enacted moratoria on drilling in most regions of the Outer Continental Shelf. In 1990, President Bush issued a directive forbidding offshore leasing or pre-leasing activities in most of the OCS until 2000. In 1998, Clinton extended that directive until 2012.
The draft proposal released Wednesday proposes a special interest sale in the region off the coast of Virginia, beginning in 2011. Prior to the release of this proposal, Menendez and Pallone signed a delegation letter urging the Interior Department to not open any of the areas currently covered under the moratoria.
“The Bush Administration has failed to kick the habit of oil drilling off America’s coast,” said Doug O’Malley, NJPIRG’s Field Director. “We cannot drill our way out of our energy crisis. If we want real energy solutions, we must act as if conservation is not a four-letter word and push for improved fuel efficiency standards for our cars.”
“I pledge to fight alongside Congressman Pallone against any policies that will destroy our shoreline and hinder New Jersey’s tourism industry, which brings in over $20 billion to the state’s economy,” concluded Menendez. “The president said our country needs to end its addiction to oil, but if this is his only plan, he needs to find a new twelve-step program.” |
