Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Yesterday, the Department of the Interior announced that it will seek to identify more ways to speed up permitting for offshore oil and gas drilling off America's coasts.
The administration has already proposed a draft offshore drilling plan that would open up nearly every corner of our waters to drilling, as well as rolling back safety standards put in place in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
In response, Athan Manuel, Director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, issued the following statement:
“Ryan Zinke will stop at nothing in his reckless quest to expose our coasts to the dangers of offshore drilling. First he offered up every corner of our oceans to corporate polluters and rolled back worker and environmental safeguards, and now he wants to rush through the permitting process. Communities have made it clear that they do not want drilling off our coasts. Rather than pulling out all the stops to foul our oceans with drilling rigs, he should listen.”
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.