Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement applauding the Obama Administration for removing the Atlantic Ocean from the proposed 2017-2022 offshore oil and gas drilling program. The previous version of the program included leasing federal waters to oil and gas companies off the coasts of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
“I applaud the Obama Administration for sharing the American people’s commitment to protecting our coasts from Big Oil," Grijalva said. “The President’s proposal to scale back its offshore drilling plan reaffirms his dedication to protecting and conserving the great outdoors."
“Today’s announcement is a big victory for the environment, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of the more than 100 coastal communities that fought to protect the land off the Atlantic coast. It’s because of their resilience that the tourism and fishery industries on the Atlantic seaboard will be protected at least through 2022, and hopefully for generations to come."
