Trump will allow new offshore oil/gas drilling in most U.S. waters, opening access to 100M+ Acres

David

Opinions are my own...
PREMO Member
The reversal deals a serious blow to President Barack Obama's environmental legacy and signals that the Trump administration is nowhere near done unraveling the environmental restrictions of its predecessor in an effort to promote domestic energy production.

The new plan will not immediately green-light drilling. Finalizing it could take as long as 18 months, experts said, and in the meantime a number of states are expected to challenge it in an effort to protect their coastlines.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/climate/trump-offshore-drilling.html?
 

David

Opinions are my own...
PREMO Member
Cardin is Disgusted

Cardin Statement on Trump Administration Moves to Permit Offshore Drilling along Atlantic Coast

"The administration's actions are as ignorant of common sense and scientific realities as they are of the widespread public opposition to Atlantic offshore drilling."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works long opposed to offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean , today released the following statement in response to the Department of the Interior's actions intended to allow offshore drilling along the East Coast.

"I am disgusted – but not surprised – by the Trump Administration's machinations to allow drilling along our Atlantic Coast. This move comes only a week after the administration repealed safety regulations implemented by the Obama Administration to prevent another Deepwater Horizon disaster, and it needlessly places countless coastal communities, thriving local economies, and our invaluable fish and wildlife resources at extreme risk. Sadly, spill events resulting from oil and gas drilling and shipment are a daily occurrence in this country, and very few places are immune to this threat. Having recently needlessly opened one unspoiled landscape, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to drilling in the name of pursuing the energy security from which we already benefit, the Trump Administration is now placing the entire East Coast in similar crosshairs. The administration's actions are as ignorant of common sense and scientific realities as they are of the widespread public opposition to Atlantic offshore drilling. These moves also come despite Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's promises during his confirmation process to be highly mindful of local input when managing public lands and waters. This move is the type of publicly unsupported action we already have seen time and again from this Interior Department, which clearly places the desires of oil, gas, coal and mineral extraction executives above those of average Americans and the places they hold dear. As a person who loves and has spent my career working to protect and improve the Chesapeake Bay, I cannot condemn this maneuver in any stronger terms. I urge the Trump Administration and Interior Department to reverse course on this decision immediately, and to put the will of the American people and health of the natural world above the pipe dreams of his comrades in the fossil fuel industry – for once."

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David

Opinions are my own...
PREMO Member
Frosh is not disgusted

Attorney General Frosh Statement on Trump Administration's Plan to Expand Drilling off America's Coastlines

BALTIMORE (January 4, 2018) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today released the following statement on President Trump's plan to expand drilling off America's coastlines:

"The risks posed to our environment and local economies as a result of offshore drilling are unacceptable. Environmental disasters in the Gulf of Mexico and around the country should serve as stark reminders of the permanent damage that results in offshore drilling.

"Fully one-half of the 18 trillion gallons of water in the Chesapeake Bay come from the Atlantic Ocean, and about one-third of the total area of the State of Maryland is covered by the Bay. But where striped bass once ran thick, blue crabs scuttled and oysters grew in mounds along the shallow bottom, the Chesapeake Bay is now a shadow of its former self, crippled by polluted run-off, nearby development and diseases. The Bay is extraordinarily vulnerable to pollution from offshore drilling. Pollution that flows into the Bay will remain there for years and cause irreparable damage to its remaining resources.

"Super hurricanes in Florida, Texas and Puerto and unprecedented wildfires in California demonstrate the need to invest in clean power. Subjecting our coastlines to oil drilling is a bad bet, especially when we know we must begin to face the challenge of climate change.

"Maryland and the rest of the Atlantic Coast boast some of the most pristine beaches in the country. Our Bay and our beaches are the source of enjoyment for millions of tourists annually. We have a robust recreation economy and an historic seafood-based industry that are dependent upon a healthy Bay. Oil drilling off the Atlantic coastline is foolish, reckless and unnecessary. President Trump and Secretary Zinke are placing the interests of the oil industry above the well-being and interests of millions of Americans who depend upon clean water for their livelihoods and who treasure it as their heritage.

"We will fight every step of the way to protect our shores and our Chesapeake Bay from the dangerous and irresponsible decisions of this Administration."

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David

Opinions are my own...
PREMO Member
How the Dept. of the Interior sees it

SECRETARY ZINKE ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR UNLEASHING AMERICA’S OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS POTENTIAL

Draft Proposed Program considers nearly the entire U.S. Outer Continental Shelf for potential oil and gas lease sales


WASHINGTON
– U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced the next step for responsibly developing the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) for 2019-2024, which proposes to make over 90 percent of the total OCS acreage and more than 98 percent of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in federal offshore areas available to consider for future exploration and development. By comparison, the current program puts 94 percent of the OCS off limits. In addition, the program proposes the largest number of lease sales in U.S. history.

“Responsibly developing our energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in a safe and well-regulated way is important to our economy and energy security, and it provides billions of dollars to fund the conservation of our coastlines, public lands and parks,” said Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “Today's announcement lays out the options that are on the table and starts a lengthy and robust public comment period. Just like with mining, not all areas are appropriate for offshore drilling, and we will take that into consideration in the coming weeks. The important thing is we strike the right balance to protect our coasts and people while still powering America and achieving American Energy Dominance"


Earlier this year, 155 Members of both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate sent letters to Secretary Zinke in support of a new 5-year plan that recognizes America’s potential for energy dominance.


The Draft Proposed Program (DPP) includes 47 potential lease sales in 25 of the 26 planning areas – 19 sales off the coast of Alaska, 7 in the Pacific Region, 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, and 9 in the Atlantic Region. This is the largest number of lease sales ever proposed for the National OCS Program’s 5-year lease schedule.


“By proposing to open up nearly the entire OCS for potential oil and gas exploration, the United States can advance the goal of moving from aspiring for energy independence to attaining energy dominance,” said Vincent DeVito, Counselor for Energy Policy at Interior. “This decision could bring unprecedented access to America’s extensive offshore oil and gas resources and allows us to better compete with other oil-rich nations.”


Release of the DPP is an early step in a multi-year process to develop a final National OCS Program for 2019-2024. Today's draft proposal was informed by approximately 816,000 comments from a wide variety of stakeholders, including state governments, federal agencies, public interest groups, industry, and the public. Before the program is finalized, the public will have additional opportunities to provide input. The 2017-2022 Five Year Program will continue to be implemented until the new National OCS Program is approved.


“This plan is an early signal to the global marketplace that the United States intends to remain a global leader in responsible offshore energy development and produce affordable American energy for many decades to come,” said Katharine MacGregor, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. “This proposed plan shows our commitment to a vibrant offshore energy economy that supports the thousands of men and women working in the offshore energy industry, from supply vessels to rig crews.”


Inclusion of an area in the DPP is not a final indication that it will be included in the approved Program or offered in a lease sale, because many decision points still remain. By proposing to open these areas for consideration, the Secretary ensures that he will receive public input and analysis on all of the available OCS to better inform future decisions on the National OCS Program. Prior to any individual lease sale in the future, BOEM will continue to incorporate new scientific information and stakeholder feedback in its reviews to further refine the geographic scope of the lease areas.


“American energy production can be competitive while remaining safe and environmentally sound,” said Acting BOEM Director Walter Cruickshank. “Public input is a crucial part of this process, and we hope to hear from industry groups, elected officials, other government agencies, concerned citizens and others as we move forward with developing the 2019-2024 National OCS Program.”


The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requires the Secretary of the Interior, through BOEM, to prepare and maintain a schedule of proposed oil and gas lease sales in federal waters, indicating the size, timing, and location of leasing activity that would best meet national energy needs for the five-year period following Program approval. In developing the National OCS Program, the Secretary is required to achieve an appropriate balance among the potential for environmental impacts, for discovery of oil and gas, and for adverse effects on the coastal zone.


BOEM currently manages about 2,900 active OCS leases, covering almost 15.3 million acres – the vast majority in the Gulf of Mexico. In fiscal year 2016, oil and gas leases on the OCS accounted for approximately 18 percent of domestic oil production and 4 percent of domestic natural gas production. This production generates billions of dollars in revenue for state and local governments and the U.S. taxpayer, while supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.


Gulf of Mexico:


The DPP includes 12 sales in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the most productive basins in the world and where oil and gas infrastructure is well established. The draft proposal continues the current approach to lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico by proposing 10 biannual lease sales in those areas of the Western, Central, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico that are not subject to Congressional moratorium or otherwise unavailable, and two sales in the portions of the Eastern and Central Gulf of Mexico after the expiration of the Congressional moratorium in 2022. This is the first time the majority of the Eastern GOM Planning Area would be available for leasing since 1988.


Alaska:


The DPP proposes 19 lease sales in the Alaska Region (3 in the Chukchi Sea, 3 in the Beaufort Sea, 2 in Cook Inlet, and 1 sale each in 11 other program areas in Alaska). These 11 program areas consist of the Gulf of Alaska, Kodiak, Shumagin, Aleutian Arc, St. George Basin, Bowers Basin, Aleutian Basin, Navarin Basin, St. Matthew-Hall, Norton Basin, and Hope Basin. No sales are proposed in the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area that has been under Presidential withdrawal since December 2014.


Pacific:


The DPP proposes 7 lease sales in the Pacific Region (2 each for Northern California, Central California, and Southern California, and 1 for Washington/Oregon). There have been no sales in the Pacific Region since 1984. Currently there are 43 leases in producing status in the Southern California Planning Area.


Atlantic:


The DPP proposes 9 lease sales in the Atlantic Region (3 sales each for the Mid- and South Atlantic, 2 for the North Atlantic, and 1 for the Straits of Florida). There have been no sales in the Atlantic since 1983 and there are no existing leases.


NEXT STEPS


In conjunction with the announcement of the DPP, the Department is also publishing a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.


Public meetings will be held around the country starting on January 16, 2018, to receive comments on the DPP and to inform the Draft Programmatic EIS. Specific dates, times, and venues will be posted on BOEM’s website at https://www.boem.gov/National-Program/.


Using the information received from these public meetings, BOEM will prepare a Proposed Program (PP), which will be published for public comment, to be followed by a Proposed Final Program (PFP). In addition, the Department will prepare a Draft Programmatic EIS to be published concurrently with the PP, and a Final EIS with the PFP.


The DPP and the NOI will be available for public comment for 60 days following the publication of the documents in the Federal Register.


For more information about the National OCS Program, including maps, please visit: http://www.boem.gov/National-Program/
 
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