Washington, DC – Today the Obama Administration announced a proposal to allow offshore oil and gas drilling on the East Coast from Virginia to Georgia. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding the announcement:
“I’m disappointed that the Administration is proposing to allow offshore oil and gas drilling on the East Coast. Our coastal economies, from fishing to tourism to recreation, rely on clean and safe beaches and vibrant ocean habitats. Offshore drilling brings with it the risk of accidents that can be devastating to those resources, not just in the states directly offshore, but up and down the coast. I continue to oppose drilling along the East Coast, and I strongly urge the Administration and companies involved in drilling to take every precaution to prevent a disaster.”
Whitehouse has long opposed the expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. Last year he was one of nine Senators who wrote to Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell urging her to protect the East Coast from offshore drilling. As Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney in 1997, Whitehouse led the investigation into the North Cape oil spill, and was able to secure over $9 million in criminal penalties.
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