North Carolina governor seeks offshore drilling exemption in Zinke meeting

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian


Roy Cooper: ‘No safe method to drill for oil and gas off the coast’
Interior secretary had exempted Republican-controlled Florida
Associated Press in Raleigh, North Carolina

Sat 3 Feb 2018 15.40 EST

North Carolina’s governor said he had a good conversation on Saturday with the interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, regarding plans to expand drilling for gas and oil off the state’s coast.

Roy Cooper, a Democrat, wants the Republican administration to give him an exemption similar to that offered to the Republican governor of Florida, Rick Scott.

Last month, Zinke told Scott Florida’s waters would remain closed under Donald Trump’s five-year plan, which would open 90% of the nation’s offshore reserves to development by private companies.

. . .

At least 10 other governors from both parties have asked Zinke to remove their states from plans to expand offshore drilling from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic and Pacific.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/03/north-carolina-governor-seeks-offshore-drilling-exemption-in-zinke-meeting

[lark]

1. No drilling, especially not when it's motivated by political animosity, off any coast.

All of our coastlines should be protected, not just the one done to try to get 2 repug senators from my state. drumpf is such an idiot if he thinks that will work here, unless russia steals it for him again.

[downeastdaniel]

2. So the other coastal states need to copy the N.Carolina message exactly and have the legislature

Send It to D.C. with a note explaining that because N. Carolina got the waiver, we all expect the waiver.

[Red Mountain]

3. He can either give us an exemption like Florida or.....

we'll see him in court. Other states will follow. If the administration of dunces thinks drilling off the east coast is so great they should never have given Florida an exemption.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. public comment

From the article:

The public can also have a say through comments to the department.

“I call on the citizens of North Carolina to be loud about this issue,” Cooper said.

[Canoe52]

5. lol, why do repugs hate america? drill baby drill!