Gabby Brown
I grew up in New Castle County, Delaware, and have fond memories from early childhood of visiting my grandmother at her summer cottage in Rehoboth and spending hours playing on the beach and in the waves with my siblings and cousins.
That’s why I welcomed the opportunity to be back home in Delaware last week to attend one of the first Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) hearings on the Trump administration’s draft offshore drilling plan. I joined our members and supporters and their partners to demonstrate strong opposition to this reckless plan.
We came together to hear from speakers from all different industries and walks of life, like fishermen, wildlife advocates, and elected officials. Each shared their perspective on the threats offshore drilling poses to the First State.
Debbie Heaton, of the Sierra Club’s Delaware chapter, discussed the importance of Delaware’s coast as an economic driver, drawing over 3 million annual visitors and supporting 24,000 jobs, and how offshore drilling and its pollution threaten the health of Delaware's residents, its economy, and its rich natural diversity. As she and other speakers underscored, the risks are all the more unacceptable as we seek to transition away as soon as possible from the dirty fossil fuels of the past.
Debbie also shared a powerful statement from Delaware’s Senators Coons and Carper. “Delaware is home to 28 miles of coastline that includes beautiful beaches, vibrant communities and thriving businesses that are critical to our state’s economy,” they wrote. “Many of our local economies rely on fishing, tourism and recreational activities that depend on a healthy coast. The Trump Administration’s proposal, released earlier this month, to revisit the offshore drilling program three years ahead of schedule and potentially expand oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic is shortsighted. This decision ignores the input of both scientists and coastal residents and unnecessarily jeopardizes the environmental and economic well-being of the entire East Coast, including the First State.”
I joined @SenCarper in taking a stand AGAINST the Dept. of the @Interior proposal to revise and expand oil and gas drilling off the coast of Delaware. Many of our local economies rely on fishing, tourism and recreational activities that depend on a healthy coast. pic.twitter.com/l6M1vS92ht
— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) January 18, 2018
We were also joined by Rich King, of Delaware Surf Fishing, who reminded us that, “Unless you’re cooking them, fish and oil don’t mix!”
I was inspired by the passion and commitment our Delaware chapter and their partners brought to the BOEM hearing. One thing is for sure -- coastal communities aren’t going to let this administration drill off our coasts without a fight!