Statement of U.S. PIRG Oceans Advocate Mike Gravitz
The Senate voted 44 to 43 early this evening to strike down an amendment proposed by Senator John Warner (R-VA) to the energy bill now being debated in the Senate that would have allowed drilling for natural gas as close as 50 miles off the coast of Virginia, off the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and off Assateague Island National Seashore and wildlife areas. This would have ended a twenty-six year old bipartisan moratorium on new areas of offshore drilling.
Senator Warner pushed for natural gas drilling, but “gas only” production is a myth. The Minerals Management Agency (MMS), the government agency in charge of selling offshore development leases, cannot distinguish between oil and gas when issuing drilling permits.
How many times do we have to kill these OCS amendments before the oil companies and their allies in Congress realize that the vast majority of the American people want a new and different direction for energy policy? The American public is tired of the old drill and then drill some more solution to our energy problems. They want forward thinking proposals on energy conservation, electricity and liquid fuels from renewable sources, and better gas mileage. Senator Warner’s amendment did none of these things.
Last week the House Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly voted to preserve the moratorium and killed a similar attempt to weaken it. We’re pleased that the House and Senate are holding the line on the offshore drilling moratorium.
