Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- In today’s White House press briefing, NBC News asked if there was a political component to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s removal of Florida from the draft offshore drilling plan just days after the plan was released. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed that she is “not aware of any political favor.”
As in nearly every other state included, the demand to remove Florida from the offshore drilling plan was swift, coming from a bipartisan coalition of state and federal legislators. The decision to exempt Florida has been widely decried as a transparent attempt to give Scott a political boost. Until this week, Scott was in favor of offshore drilling off Florida’s coast, a position out of step with the majority of Floridians. Still, nearly two dozen other states have asked for an exemption from the dangerous drilling plan, and other Governor’s are pressing Zinke for immediate meetings to discuss the threats to their state, but, thus far, Zinke has been silent on any further exemptions.
In addition to questions about this being a political stunt, Zinke’s decision may have violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires that agency actions have reasonable rationale and not be “arbitrary and capricious.”
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Nearly every state affected by this dangerous plan wants an exemption to protect their coastlines and their communities, but the only state that got one is governed by a close Trump ally with lofty political ambitions. The White House can play dumb all it wants, but it’s obvious what Rick Scott and Ryan Zinke are up to. The safety of America’s coasts and the livelihoods of Americans who depend on coastal economies are not political footballs. If Zinke and Trump want to protect our coasts, they would subject no one to these terrible drilling plans. But, their transparent actions remind us once again that their actions aren’t about the people or our waters, they’re about political gain and pleasing the fossil fuel industry.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.