President Trump's Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is putting an Indefinite Hold on the Trump Administration's Plans to Ramp Up Offshore Drilling along America's Coasts.
Bernhardt cited NRDC's Courtroom Victory this month that Blocked President Trump's moves to Open Areas of the Remote and Wildlife Rich Arctic Ocean and Atlantic Coast, Vital Marine areas Protected by President Obama, to Drilling.
But Bernhardt's Pause is only Temporary. The Trump Administration will almost surely Appeal the Court's Ruling and meanwhile is just Retooling its Plans to Impose as much of its Dirty Offshore Drilling Agenda on the American People as it can.
Bernhardt's surprising Comments, made to The Wall Street Journal, said the Court Victory was "discombobulating" Plans for Ramping Up New Offshore Drilling.
The Lawsuit, brought by NRDC and Earthjustice on behalf of a Coalition of Indigenous and Environmental Groups, was a Direct Response to President Trump's 2017 Executive Order that attempted to Illegally Remove Protections for Large Swaths of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.
Trump's Order was meant to pave the way for a New Five-year Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling Program, a Plan we were expecting to see any day, that would have Exposed our Oceans, Coastal Communities, and Marine Wildlife to risky Oil and Gas Development and the Threat of Catastrophic Oil Spills and Pollution.
Any Plan by Trump to Expand Drilling would also keep us Shackled to the Climate-Busting Fossil Fuels of the past, all for the Benefit of Polluting Energy Giants and their Profits.
And even as Offshore Drilling is in Limbo, the Administration has already issued Permits for Destructive Seismic Testing, the Practice of Barraging our Undersea Environment with deafening Air Gun Explosions to find Oil Deposits. These Seismic Blasts cause Senseless Harm to Thousands of Whales, Dolphins, and other Marine Mammals, including Endangered Species like the North Atlantic Right Whale.
The Trump Administration has Not yet given up on its quest to Sacrifice our Coastlines to Polluters. So NRDC will continue Fighting the Trump Administration by:
- Strengthening their Legal Firewall: They expect the Trump Administration to Appeal the Court's Ruling. While an Appeal may take Months or Years, NRDC's Legal Team will continue waging this Fight until our Coasts are Protected.
- Continuing to Bolster Congressional Opposition and Local Alliances: Along with the NRDC Action Fund, they will continue Building Major Bipartisan Opposition to Trump's Offshore Drilling Plans with Representatives from Coastal States, and we'll be Mobilizing Governors and Local Leaders to Speak Out.
- Mobilizing Grassroots Opposition: They will continue Galvanizing Millions of People in Coastal States and across America to Speak Out for our Climate and against Offshore Drilling by writing Letters, making Phone Calls, Signing Petitions, attending Public Hearings, and more.
CLICK HERE to tell Trump to Trash his Offshore Drilling Plan Once and For All.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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