(Washington DC) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement after Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced plans to draft and implement new oil and gas leasing guidelines that would expand access to offshore drilling in nearly all of the United States’ continental waters, including coastal waters in Washington state.
“The Trump Administration’s effort to open up areas off the Washington coast and elsewhere to drilling is outrageous and wrong, and once again demonstrates exactly what this Administration stands for: Big Oil and the relentless pursuit of profit, no matter what it may mean for our environment, public health, economy, or the many, many people who want their pristine coasts preserved. The Trump Administration’s move is especially egregious given the years of fact-finding and public input that already established the need to protect ecologically-sensitive areas. I urge people across this country to make their voices heard—again—to make sure this Administration backs down from this short-sighted proposal.”
One year ago, Sen. Murray introducido legislation to permanently prohibit offshore drilling on the outer continental shelf off of Washington, Oregon, and California.
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