Statement of Nathan Willcox, Energy &
Clean Air Advocate for PennEnvironment
Today the U.S. House of Representatives effectively voted in favor
of ending the 27-year old moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling,
by not including a continuation of the moratorium in a broad continuing
resolution needed to fund the government. Without an affirmative vote
to continue the moratorium, oil and gas drilling will now be allowed as
close as 3 miles off of the nation's beaches. PennEnvironment's Nathan
Willcox issued the following statement in response to today's vote:
“Reversing nearly three decades of coastal protections won't bring
Pennsylvanians any relief at the pump, but could threaten our coasts
with oil spills and toxic pollution. Today marks a sad day for our
nation's environment, and raises serious questions about our ability to
move past the dirty, finite energy sources that have landed us in our
current energy mess.
“Lifting the moratorium means that drilling could eventually occur as
close as three miles off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts where oil and
gas drilling is currently banned. That means three miles off the Jersey
Shore, off Cape Cod, the Chesapeake Bay, the Outer Banks, the Georgia
Sea Islands, and southern California beaches—all of these iconic places
could see oil and gas drilling. Numerous national seashores, wildlife
refuges, marine sanctuaries, and state parks will be threatened by
chronic pollution and the threat of catastrophic spills from wells.
Famed fishing grounds like Georges Bank off Cape Cod, the Gulf of
Maine, and salmon and crab grounds off Oregon and Washington will all
be opened for drilling.
“The administration’s own Energy Information Administration says that
opening up all currently closed offshore areas will have no significant
impact on the price of energy. There is too little oil under our
oceans to make a difference in the price for oil set on the world’s
market.
“America needs a bold new energy plan. Instead of opening every last
corner of our country to oil drilling, we need to produce cars that go
further on a gallon of gasoline, invest in public transportation and
other alternatives to driving, and develop clean renewable energy.
“PennEnvironment will redouble our efforts in 2009 to ensure that the
next administration and Pennsylvania's delegation in the new Congress
reduce our dependence on oil and restore protections for our coasts and
public lands.”
