State Leaders Slam Zinke for Letting Florida off Hook on Drilling
U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made a slick political decision to let Florida off the hook on offshore oil drilling, while other coastal states including Washington get drilled, state political leaders charged Thursday.
Gov. Jay Inslee and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray fired off angry letters that Zinke is unlikely to answer. They are all Democrats while Florida Gov. Rick Scott is a Republican and backer of President Trump.
Inslee cited two past spills off the Washington Coast, notably the 225,00 spill by Nestucca oil barge in 1988. The spill fouled beaches from Olympic National Park toCanada's Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island. The Tenyo Maru collision in 1991, 20 miles off Cape Flattery, sent oil ashore on Olympic Park's fabled Point of Arches and Shi Shi Beach.
including Washington get drilled, state political leaders charged Thursday.
Gov. Jay Inslee and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray fired off angry letters that Zinke is unlikely to answer. They are all Democrats while Florida Gov. Rick Scott is a Republican and backer of President Trump.
Inslee cited two past spills off the Washington Coast, notably the 225,00 spill by Nestucca oil barge in 1988. The spill fouled beaches from Olympic National Park toCanada's Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island. The Tenyo Maru collision in 1991, 20 miles off Cape Flattery, sent oil ashore on Olympic Park's fabled Point of Arches and Shi Shi Beach.
Addressing Zinke, Inslee wrote to the Secretary: "You recognized the contributions that coastal tourism make to (Florida's) economy, and therefore the unique threats that oil and gas drilling activities provide to their economic sector.
"In Washington state, we also host a robust tourism and recreation economic sector, which is similarly dependent upon healthy marine and coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, Washington is home to the nation's largest shellfish industry..."
The governors of California, Oregon and Washington earlier sent a joint letter to Zinke opposing oil and gas leasing off the Pacific Coast.
Zinke announced last week that he was opening 90 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling. The Interior Secretary pledged, however, that the Trump administration would listen to state governments and local voices.
Sen. Murray shot back with a tweet:
"Hi, @Secretary Zinke -- local WA voice here. Appreciate the offer to reopen our pristine shores to harmful oil & gas drilling, but us Washingtonians prefer our healthy,. unadulterated coastlines."
The Interior Secretary has clearly played favorites. Gov. Scott, in Florida, has been encouraged by Trump to run against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in this fall's election. President Trump owns and still promotes his seaside Mar-a-Lago Resort.
But Zinke's actions may rebound against the administration. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, who represents an idyllic portion of the California Coast, announced his retirement this week. At least half of California's 14 Republican House members are in jeopardy of losing their seats.
In Washington, retiring Republican Rep. Dave Reichert has said he is "deeply concerned" at the drilling decision, which could have "a negative lasting effect" on coastal waters. He has urged the Trump administration to concentrate on clean, renewable energy sources.
"What's true for Florida is true for Washington's coast and every other coastal community," said Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., whose district includes much of the Washington Coast and Strait of Juan de Fuca.
"The job of the government is to protect our public lands and pass these treasures on to our kids, not give them away to the highest bidder, and in the process put our environment, wildlife and economy at risk."
Kilmer has a meeting with seafood and tourism industry leaders Friday in Grays Harbor County.
Sen. Cantwell, ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, took Zinke to task for lack of transparency, and suggested that the Trump administration's leasing program may violate federal law.
"Your decision to give a last-minute exemption to Florida while ignoring over 10 other states who followed the proper legal procedures is a waste of taxpayer dollars and may violate requirements of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act," Cantwell told Zinke.
"It also suggests you are more concerned with politics than proper process when it comes to making key decisions that affect our coastal communities."
The West Coast has been freed from new oil and gas leasing for more than three decades. Washington has been exempt since 1984.
In 1994, the federal government established the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, which protects 3,188 square miles of marine waters off the coast of Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
In his letter to Zinke, Gov. Inslee ticked off the marine life protected and supported in the coastal sanctuary: 29 species of marine mammals, including humpback and gray whales, and "scores of seabirds."
"The sanctuary's unique and delicate habitats and ecosystems are threatened by the new proposed leasing plan," said the governor.
By: Joel Connelly
Source: Seattle Pi