Last week the Trump Administration declared that it wants to make every inch of the Atlantic Coast from Key West to the Canadian border available for offshore oil drilling.  Since the U.S. is already energy independent, the goal, according to the Administration, is to create energy dominance so that the U.S. can supply oil to friendly countries.

To achieve that geo-political goal, the Administration is willing to sacrifice our vibrant coastal tourism, commercial fishing and recreation economies.

Are you ready to fight to protect our local economies from offshore drilling, oil leaks and spills?

The release of the draft five-year oil leasing plan has started a 60-day comment period which will end March 8th.

It is vitally important that you do two things to stop this attack on the Atlantic Coast and our local economies.

First, submit comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) either online or by mail.

Directions for filing a comment online can be found here:
https://www.boem.gov/National-Program-Comment/

You can mail in your comments to:

Ms. Kelly Hammerle, National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program Manager, BOEM (VAM-LD), 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Va., 20166-9216.

BOEM suggests that comments:

• Be fact-based;
• Include links to data or research;
• Provide specifics regarding impacts to the ocean and coasts, the plants and animals, to people, and how people use the ocean; and where and when the ocean is utilized.

Second, attend one of the 15 “open meetings” BOEM will hold in the state capitals of each of the Atlantic Coast states.  Efforts are underway to convince BOEM that additional meetings should be held in coastal cities.

Please use this link to see the locations and dates for the schedule meetings which will start on January 16th.
https://www.boem.gov/National-Program-Comment/

Unfortunately, these meetings will not allow for testimony to be given publicly.
Only individual conversations with BOEM staff will be allowed:
“participants can ask questions, share information, talk with our team members one-on-one, and learn more about the National OCS Program.”

This format deprives concerned citizens of the opportunity to express themselves in an open-forum.  The Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast (BAPAC) will petition BOEM to allow for public town-hall style meetings in each state in addition to one-on-one talks with staff.

Should we fail in our efforts for town-hall meetings, creative methods to circumvent the restrictions on public comments during these “open meetings” should be considered.

We encourage you to share this information with your friends and associates.  We need to inundate BOEM with comments objecting to this attack on our coast and our economy.

LET’S FIGHT!