Could Off Shore Oil Drilling Ruin Your Cape Cod Summer Vacation?
Friday, January 30, 2015
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Interior proposed a plan to allow offshore drilling on the Atlantic Ocean. The drilling in the Atlantic would be part of a five year drilling schedule that would begin in 2017.
Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey said, “Cape Cod beaches could be in the crosshairs of an oil spill that could devastate our shores if offshore drilling is allowed off the East Coast. Oil spills know no state boundaries. Cape Cod beaches are a destination for countless vacationers from Worcester and throughout Massachusetts, and we need to ensure we protect this unique natural resource and the tourism industry it supports from the devastation of a possible oil spill.”
Last August, Senator Markey, along with fellow Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and other senators from East Coast states, wrote to Dept. of Interior Secretary Sally Jewel and said, “Fishing, tourism, recreation and other activities generate billions of dollars in revenue for our states each year. Offshore drilling in federal waters anywhere in the Atlantic would threaten these important economic drivers in our states as well as our coastlines, beaches and environment with the dangers of an offshore oil spill.”
The drilling would take place 50 miles off the Atlantic Coast. There are 14 states that own shores adjacent to the Atlantic region. Of those 14, only Massachusetts, Delaware and Maryland expressed opposition to drilling.
“A spill off the coast of North Carolina could affect Massachusetts. We saw what happened after the BP spill,” said Markey.
Fishing off the East Coast produces approximately $1.75 billion in direct value and more than $4 billion in total economic activity each year. Tourism, like that found on the Cape, supports an estimated 800,000 jobs for East Coast states.
“Just a few years after superstorm Sandy, we saw a powerful storm race up the East Coast this week. My state is dealing with wind gusts topping 70 miles per hour. Storm surges of 30 feet. Why would we put drilling rigs off our coasts and put them in the paths of these storms that are getting supercharged by climate change,” asked Markey.
Markey continues, “This proposed plan would open the East Coast to offshore drilling at a time when Congress has still failed to put in place the safety reforms recommended following the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. The independent, Blue-ribbon BP Spill Commission has given Congress a grade of D-plus on its legislative response to the spill. Nearly five years after the spill, we have still not enacted key drilling safety reforms such as raising the liability cap for an offshore spill and increasing the civil penalties that can be levied against oil companies who violate the law. We shouldn’t allow oil companies to get away with a slap on the wrist when they spill oil.”
For video of Senator Markey’s Opposition to Oil Drilling, click here: Senator Markey Opposes East Coast Oil Drilling
Related Articles
- NEW: Warren Slams Brown on Environmental Stance
- Valanzola Named COO for Energy and Environmental Affairs
- NEW: RI Environmental Group Opposes Off Shore Drilling
- NEW: State Seeking Applications for Excellence in Environmental Education
- MA Delegation Earns Top Scores For Environmental Voting Record
- NEW: Oakmont Students Work for Environmental Change in Lexus Eco Challenege
- INVESTIGATION: MA’s Top Environmental Penalties
- Sec. of Energy and Environmental Affairs Names Sieger Asst. Sec. for Environment
- Central MA Farms Receive Grants For Energy/Environmental Upgrades
- Moore: Fed Bills Will Threaten Safety of MA Residents, Environment
- Environmental Activist to Speak at Clark About Climate Change
- Mulkey: An Open Letter to the Environmental Community After the Midterm Elections
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It