Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Brookhaven, NY -- Last night, it was reported that the Department of the Interior will host a second public hearing in New York tomorrow on its draft offshore drilling plan. The plan, which would expand drilling into nearly all of America’s public waters, has faced strong, bipartisan opposition since its release in January. Interior has held just one public hearing on the plan in each state, in many cases hundreds of miles from the coastal communities that would be most affected by drilling.
The second New York hearing was planned in response to a request from Rep. Lee Zeldin to Secretary Zinke. Other coastal communities have also requested additional hearings so that coastal residents could weigh in on the plan, but those requests have not been granted. Long Island, where the hearing will be held, is represented by Republicans Rep. Zeldin and Rep. Peter King, both of whom are facing political pressure and opposition.
Zinke recently faced criticism over his announcement, just days after releasing the plan, that Florida would be exempted from drilling. This was widely seen as a stunt to boost Florida Governor Rick Scott’s political ambitions.
In response, Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign Director Kelly Martin released the following statement:
“It’s past time that Secretary Zinke finally recognized the need to allow coastal communities to weigh in on this reckless offshore drilling plan, and we look forward to announcements about hearings in every coastal community that would be threatened by drilling. Unfortunately, this looks more like yet another political stunt from Zinke to boost the fortunes of his Republican allies. This last minute announcement doesn’t just show how ineffectively Zinke has managed this plan, it highlights his cynicism and utter failure to take seriously the real concerns coastal residents have about the threats offshore drilling would pose to our climate, economies, and communities.”
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.