Still not worth the risk

As the Trump administration reportedly prepares to restart consideration of offshore drilling in the Atlantic, coastal residents up and down the Eastern seaboard are reminding this president what they told the last: No drilling off our coast.

As was said before, and will be said again and again, drilling off the Southeast Coast is not worth the risk.  Clean air, clean water, beaches, and an un-spoiled coast free of pipelines, refineries, and tanker terminals are central to the fisheries and tourism at the heart of Southeastern coastal communities.

“These communities could not be clearer: they don’t want drills, spills, or seismic vessels blasting the dolphins and fish that make their homes here either,” said Senior Attorney Sierra Weaver. “Record crowds turned out to make sure the Obama administration heard this, and they’ll do the same for the Trump administration.”

More than 120 local governments along the East Coast from New Jersey to Florida have passed resolutions stating their opposition to offshore drilling. Hundreds of businesses and coalitions like the Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast also stand strongly opposed to drilling.

The broad coalition of coastal communities and businesses reiterated that the same reasons drilling was a bad decision just over a year ago are still true today. Last March, the Obama administration dropped a proposal to open the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia to possible offshore drilling.

While reports suggest the President will issue an Executive Order outlining priorities for the Department of Interior’s offshore leasing program, the specifics of those directives and how they will be carried out remain to be seen. Whatever the plan, SELC and our partners are prepared to protect our coast.

Visit www.ProtectOurCoastNow.com to order stickers like the one shown above and learn more about the ongoing efforts to protect the coast from offshore drilling.