Sen. Mikulski against offshore drilling, and ‘always will be’

Senator Barbara A. Mikulski the senior United States Senator from Maryland is against offshore oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Department of Interior earlier this week released a draft proposal for offshore leasing program for 2017-2022, which would open the Atlantic coast to offshore drilling. The draft proposes areas offshore Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia.

Senator Mikulski, despite Maryland not being included in the draft proposal said: “I am absolutely opposed to offshore drilling and always will be.”

“I will keep fighting to protect Maryland’s beaches, precious waterways and tourism economy”

“While I am pleased that Maryland was not included in the Department of Interior’s plan, I am concerned that our neighboring states were. As we saw after the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, when oil starts to leak it knows no boundaries.

“Drilling off the coast of Virginia and other states along the Eastern Seaboard could pose great risks to the coastal economy of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay. Offshore drilling can devastate the environment, harming our unique and fragile coastline and wreaking havoc on the coastal communities whose economies rely heavily on tourism. I will keep fighting to protect Maryland’s beaches, precious waterways and tourism economy.”

Offshore Energy Today Staff

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