Seven other US Senate Democrats joined Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ) in expressing concern over Atlantic offshore seismic tests planned as part of the Obama administration’s 2012-17 Outer Continental Shelf management program.
“While we support your administration’s decision not to allow lease sales for offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, the proposed seismic testing poses a serious threat to our coastal economy, environment, and marine life,” they said in a Jan. 30 letter to US President Barack Obama.
Seismic testing off the US Atlantic coast from Delaware to the middle of Florida “could injure or kill thousands of marine mammals and fish, including endangered species…in addition to moving the region closer to risky offshore oil drilling,” the letter noted.
In addition to Lautenberg, Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), Robert Menendez (NJ), Benjamin L. Cardin (Md.), Barbara A. Mikulski (Md.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), and Maria E. Cantwell (Wash.) signed the letter.
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About the Author
Nick Snow
NICK SNOW covered oil and gas in Washington for more than 30 years. He worked in several capacities for The Oil Daily and was founding editor of Petroleum Finance Week before joining OGJ as its Washington correspondent in September 2005 and becoming its full-time Washington editor in October 2007. He retired from OGJ in January 2020.