House Shreds Offshore Drilling Moratorium – ‘Energy Week’ Produces Just a Single Bill ; Rep. Snyder Votes to Protect Coasts  

Washington, D.C. – Ignoring Americans’ demands for smart, innovative, clean energy solutions, the U.S. House voted 232-187 yesterday to lift the 25-year moratorium on offshore drilling.  The bill, H.R. 4761 sponsored by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), could allow oil and gas drilling within a few miles of America’s coasts.

“As millions of Americans prepare to head to the beach for the 4^th of July weekend, the House has voted to allow drilling near our coasts,” said Glen Hooks, Associate Regional Representative with the Sierra Club. “We applaud Congressman Snyder for going to bat for Americans and fighting to protect our coasts. It is disappointing that too many other members of Congress were willing to overlook smart energy solutions and industrialize our beaches and coastal waters.”

Congressman Vic Snyder voted against the bill, which revokes the long-standing moratorium, makes states jump through bureaucratic hoops to regain protections they currently enjoy, and would allow drilling as close as 3 miles to shore if states choose.  There are also financial implications of the bill. According to the Bush Administration’s Minerals Management Service, “the revenue sharing provisions of H.R. 4761 are inconsistent with the President’s budget priorities and would have a significant, long-term impact on the budget deficit.”

The drilling provisions are based on a tiered system: the moratorium line would stop at 100 miles; from 50-100 miles, states would have to actively oppose drilling every five years; states could petition for drilling within 50 miles of the coast.

In voting to allow drilling off America’s coasts the House ignored solutions as simple as making cars go farther on a gallon of gas. Earlier this week, the House Rules Committee voted against allowing a floor vote on an amendment by Representatives Sherry Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) that would have raised fuel economy standards for cars to 33 miles per gallon over 10 years time. Increasing fuel economy standards to 33 miles would save more oil than the US imports from the Persian Gulf and would save the average driver more than $500 a year.

“The bottom line is new offshore drilling won’t help address problems today, tomorrow or next year. It’s the slowest, dirtiest and most expensive way to meet our energy needs and it would threaten our beaches with pollution and potential oil spills and destroy billion-dollar tourism and fishing industries,” said Hooks   “There are faster, cheaper, cleaner and longer-term energy solutions like energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy that will start saving families and businesses money today and protect our coastal waters, beaches and economies.”

For more information:

http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/coasts/threats.asp