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Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and co-chairman of the House Coastal Caucus, issued the following statement today after the House Appropriations Committee approved, by a vote of 37-25, an amendment by U.S. Rep. John Peterson (R-PA) that will allow offshore natural gas drilling from three to 200 miles off the United States coast. The amendment was added to the fiscal year 2007 Interior Appropriations bill.
"What happened today poses one of the biggest threats to New Jersey's beaches in a long time. By voting to allow drilling as close as three miles from shore, a majority of the House Appropriations Committee showed how poorly they understand the value of our beaches and oceans.
"Supporters of the amendment falsely believe that you can drill for natural gas without hitting oil. They are simply misinformed, and by opening the possibility of drilling off our coasts they are reviving the serious threat of an oil spill hitting New Jersey's beaches.
"This also means we could be seeing ugly rigs within sight of our beaches. These beaches are the primary driver of our state's $16 billion tourism industry, and we need to protect them.
"I intend to fight back swiftly and forcefully when this comes back for a vote on the House floor in the coming weeks." |
