January 10, 2018 — North Carolina deserves the same consideration as Florida when it comes to offshore oil and gas drilling.
The Trump administration said Tuesday it will remove the Florida coast from its plan to open virtually all U.S. offshore waters to fossil fuel development.
“I support the governor’s position that Florida is unique and its coast is heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver,” Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said, according to a news release from Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s office.
Florida’s coast certainly is “heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver,” but it is not unique in that.
So is North Carolina’s coast, a point made by N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper last week:
“Offshore drilling represents a critical threat to our coastal economy. Protecting North Carolina families and businesses is my top priority, and we will pursue every option to prevent oil drilling near North Carolina’s beaches, coastal communities, and fishing waters.”
In his statement, Zinke noted:
“President Trump has directed me to rebuild our offshore oil and gas program in a manner that supports our national energy policy and also takes into consideration the local and state voice.”
That voice, as represented by North Carolina’s governor and the elected leaders of many coastal communities, says don’t drill. The North Carolina voice also deserves to be heard in Washington.
Read the full opinion piece at the Greensboro News & Record