WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-05), along with Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), and Peter DeFazio (OR-04) sent a letter to the Department of the Interior calling for a 60-day extension of the public comment period for the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
“West Coast shores are pristine habitats, economic drivers for our states, and most importantly, they are home to our citizens,” the Members wrote. “Issuing oil and natural gas leases in these areas would encumber enormously valuable fishery waters, dealing a crushing blow to local industry and tourism.”
At the beginning of this year, the Trump administration announced plans to roll back protections for the West Coast from offshore oil and gas exploration. This announcement came less than a year after the administration issued an Executive Order to reconsider policy which prohibited new leases for exploration off of the Pacific. The current deadline for public comment is March 9, 2018. The Members’ call would extend that deadline to May 8, 2018.
The Members continued: “Considering the fact that under a best-case scenario, oil and natural gas drilling would be a detriment to our traditional, sustainable economies, and under a worst-case scenario it could create an unprecedented environmental and humanitarian crisis, we believe that our stakeholders should have an appropriate amount of time to provide comment. […] Given the incredible number of stakeholders in this process, it is critical that each one of them is given a voice so they can speak for their future.”
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Dear Secretary Zinke,
We write today to request that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) extend the public comment period for the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). We ask that BOEM extend the deadline for written comments an additional 60 days for consideration in the development of the scope of the Programmatic EIS to May 8, 2018.
We understand that under Executive Order 13795 you have been instructed to expand opportunities for oil and natural gas drilling in the West Coast Outer Continental Shelf. West Coast shores are pristine habitats, economic drivers for our states, and most importantly, they are home to our citizens. Issuing oil and natural gas leases in these areas would encumber enormously valuable fishery waters, dealing a crushing blow to local industry and tourism. Offshore drilling is also inherently risky under the best circumstances. On the West Coast, drilling platforms and underwater pipelines will be subject to extreme environmental conditions during an average winter, and their presence would surely exacerbate any crisis created by a Cascadia Subduction Zone event in the region. Considering the fact that under a best-case scenario, oil and natural gas drilling would be a detriment to our traditional, sustainable economies, and under a worst-case scenario it could create an unprecedented environmental and humanitarian crisis, we believe that our stakeholders should have an appropriate amount of time to provide comment.
Our joint request to extend the public comment period by 60 days will allow for a more full and fair consideration of the Programmatic EIS, and offer the public further opportunity to share how they will be affected by this plan. Given the incredible number of stakeholders in this process, it is critical that each one of them is given a voice so they can speak for their future.
Please give our request your serious consideration, and please do not hesitate to contact us or our staff at any time.
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