COA Applauds Governor Chris Christie’s Leadership and Steadfast Opposition to Offshore Oil Drilling in the Atlantic

Sandy Hook, NJ — Governor Chris Christie’s Administration submitted formal comments today to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Movement (BOEM), opposing natural gas and oil exploration in the Atlantic Ocean waters off New Jersey. C

“COA applauds Governor Christie’s leadership and steadfast opposition to offshore drilling anywhere in the Atlantic where it could harm the Jersey Shore” said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action. 

“We urge all officials, candidates, and citizens to do the same and submit letters to oppose offshore oil drilling.  The comment period ends on August 17^th at midnight.  The clock is ticking to tell Secretary of Interior Zinke that offshore drilling is unacceptable,” she added.

A copy of NJ DEP Commissioner Martin’s letter to BOEM can be found at: www.nj.gov/dep/docs/njdep-boem-letter-220170816.pdf

Background: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is seeking information and comments by Thursday, August 17^th from the public on a NEW five-year National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) for 2019-2024 pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act. The new plan includes the entire Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida, including the waters off New Jersey. With our local ecology and economy at stake, all eyes are on Governor Christie, gubernatorial candidates and elected officials to speak out against offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic.

The last five-year plan was just completed in January 2017, which was to be in effect from 2017-2022.  This redundant new, over-lapping plan is an effort to expand drilling in areas that were rejected by the Obama Administration due to public opposition as well as economic or environmental concerns.  This will waste tax-payers dollars and require the public to repeat the process just completed and which started in 2010.

Call to Action: COA is calling on all citizens, elected leaders and those that want to be elected to take action by submitting comments to the Federal Register’s ” Request for Information and Comments on the Preparation of the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program MAA104000” before the August 17^th deadline. For a complete list of links and instructions for taking action visit CleanOceanAction.org.

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