Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Baton Rouge, LA -- Tomorrow, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke plans to visit Louisiana to discuss coastal restoration. Zinke recently bragged about putting up 77 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico up for oil and gas leasing, the largest offshore oil and gas lease sale in Interior’s history. He is also expected to release a draft plan in the near future that would dramatically expand offshore drilling off America’s coasts and dismantle safety measures implemented in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
In response, Athan Manuel, Director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, issued the following statement:
“Between whatever photo ops Secretary Zinke has planned in Louisiana, he should take this opportunity to actually listen to members of coastal communities who suffer the worst consequences of offshore drilling and climate change. If Secretary Zinke is concerned about the wellbeing of Louisiana’s coast, he should rethink his reckless plan to expand offshore drilling.”
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.