Washington, D.C. — On April 20, the 8th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 workers and spilled 210 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign into law a bipartisan measure that bans offshore drilling in state waters. The law also bans construction of pipelines or other infrastructure that could carry oil and gas drilled in federal waters to the New Jersey coast. In response, Michael Conathan, director of Ocean Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
At a time when the Trump administration has made the federal government little more than a vehicle for the selloff of public lands and waters to oil companies, New Jersey has taken a bold step to protect its beaches, waterways, and its thriving coastal economy. Efforts to address climate change and protect sustainable industries like fishing and tourism are smart, forward-looking ocean policies that other coastal states should emulate.
In January, the Trump administration proposed the largest expansion of dangerous offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. history, while simultaneously taking steps to roll back federal safeguards put in place after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to prevent a recurrence of similar disasters.
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