SC stands with Rep. Pallone to protect our coast from offshore drilling

On World Water Day, the New Jersey Sierra Club will join Congressman Pallone at a press conference in opposition of Trump’s decision to drill off the Atlantic Coast and authorize seismic testing to survey the Atlantic Ocean seafloor to detect oil and gas reserves. Trump is proposing to open 90 percent of America’s coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling. This would give energy companies access to more than a billion acres off the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts. There is more urgency now that Trump is trying to weaken the Coastal Zone Management Act that empowers New Jersey and other states to slow and even stop offshore development in federal waters. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club released the following statement:

“Donald Trump is selling out our coast to Big Oil. This reckless plan to drill off our coast will jeopardize our environment and economy. This is a disaster waiting to happen. The Trump Administration is more concerned about corporate polluters than protecting our coast from the devastating impacts of an oil spill. As we speak, Trump’s NOAA is trying to streamline his offshore drilling plan by weakening the Coastal Zone Management Act. As we celebrate World Water Day today, we have to make sure that our water, including our precious ocean is clean. That is why we have to stand up to that Fossil Fool in the White House and make sure his disastrous and greedy plan does not happen.

“Big Oil is going to have a blast at the expense of marine life off our coast. The only blast we should have on the Jersey Shore is at our bars. Part of Trump’s offshore drilling plan includes conducting harmful seismic testing to detect oil and gas reserves. Even though testing will be done in Delaware, it will still impact New Jersey because it is so close, and soundwaves do not have state boarders. Seismic testing will not only harass animals but can cause severe damage and can even lead to mass stranding of mammals and possibly death. Imagine having an underwater fireworks display going off around you 24/7 for 30 days. This is what it would be like for marine mammals, especially whales and dolphins. This testing will impact fish as well, threatening our fishing industry during important summer months.

“Seismic testing is destructive and will lead to drilling. Offshore drilling will seriously jeopardize our state’s coastal tourism. New Jersey relies on our coasts for $28 billion in tourism and over $40 billion in overall economic impact. Our coastal tourism industry supports nearly 500,000 jobs, and one out of every six of the state’s jobs are linked in some form to its shoreline. An oil spill off the coast of New Jersey could trigger an even more dramatic decline in our tourism economy. When you have linguini and clam sauce by the shore, you don’t want it to taste like Quaker state.

“If we had drilling platforms off our coast and a storm like Sandy hit, we could see catastrophic spills like what happened after Katrina where 200 oil rigs were destroyed. We can end up with oil derricks on our beaches. New Jersey will not only be at risk from a spill or explosion, but we will see more climate impacts threatening people and property.

“We are here to stand together and build a green wall around our coast to keep Donald Trump’s drilling plan out. Drilling anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic would directly put our coasts at risk. We should not gamble with our coastal tourism industry, ecosystems, fisheries and most importantly, the safety of the people who live along the coast. The New Jersey Sierra Club has already filed suit against Trump’s seismic testing to defend our safety, ecosystem, fisheries, and coastal economies from Trump’s dangerous and greedy actions. We have fought to protect our coast for 40 years and will fight to protect it for another 40 years! We don’t even need the oil. The only oil we want to see on our beaches is Coppertone.”