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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 26 april 2019
Trump administration reevaluating offshore drilling plans
By MATTHEW DALY AND EL- But Randall Luthi, head of
LEN KNICKMEYER the National Ocean In-
Associated Press dustries Association trade
WASHINGTON (AP) — The group, urged against a
Trump administration said “hard stop” in administra-
Thursday it is reevaluat- tion planning on expand-
ing its controversial plan ed offshore drilling. “What
to sharply expand offshore cannot be delayed ... is
drilling as it responds to a the importance of domes-
court ruling that blocked tic production to meet the
oil and gas development growing demand for af-
off Alaska and parts of the fordable, reliable Ameri-
Atlantic. can energy,” he said.
Governors and lawmak- The Trump administration
ers from both Republican- announced a new five-
and Democratic-led states year plan last year that
have strongly opposed the would open up 90 percent
expanded drilling. And a of U.S. offshore reserves to
federal judge last month development by private
ruled against President companies. Then-Interior
Donald Trump’s executive Secretary Ryan Zinke said
order to open the Arctic it would promote respon-
and parts of the Atlantic to sible energy development,
broader oil and gas devel- In this July 16, 2017, file photo, ice is broken up by the passing of the Finnish icebreaker MSV boost jobs and pay for
opment, saying Trump had Nordica as it sails through the Beaufort Sea off the coast of Alaska. coastal conservation ef-
exceeded his authority. Associated Press forts.
Interior Secretary David The plan calls for expand-
Bernhardt told The Wall ed drilling in the Arctic and
Street Journal on Thursday off the Atlantic coast and
that the legal challenges would open up waters off
may be “discombobulat- California for the first time in
ing” to the administration’s more than three decades.
overall drilling plans. Bern- Drilling would be allowed
hardt says the administra- from Florida to Maine in
tion may have to wait for areas that have been
the challenges to fully play blocked for decades.
out in court. Industry groups said the
The Interior Department’s plan would encourage
Bureau of Ocean Energy economic growth and cre-
Management “will care- ate thousands of jobs, while
fully consider all public environmental groups de-
input received, including nounced the plan, say-
comments from governors ing it would cause severe
of affected states, before harm to America’s oceans,
making final decisions” on coastal economies, public
expanded drilling off the health and marine life.
country’s coasts, Block The plan drew bipartisan
added. criticism in Congress, as
Environmental groups wel- lawmakers in coastal states
comed what they said said oil drilling off the coast
amounted to a delay in could put their economy,
the administration’s coast- environment and marine
al drilling expansion plans. life at risk.
Collin O’Mara of the Na- Governors from coastal
tional Wildlife Federation states asked to be re-
said the administration moved from the plan, but
“needs to go one step Interior officials said they
further and fully and per- were pressing forward
manently scrap its plan to even as they promised to
open our coasts to unfet- take local concerns into
tered offshore drilling.” consideration.q
