Assembly resolution no. 260 State of new jersey 217th legislature

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_{ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 260}

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED JUNE 5, 2017

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CHRIS A. BROWN

District 2 (Atlantic)

Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF

District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Gove

SYNOPSIS

Opposes oil and natural gas drilling off Atlantic Coast.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As introduced.

An Assembly Resolution opposing the expansion of oil and natural gas drilling off the Atlantic Coast.
Whereas, The Jersey Shore is the State of New Jersey’s most iconic natural resource, attracting millions of visitors from across the country and elsewhere to enjoy outdoor recreation on its beaches every year; and

Whereas, New Jersey’s tourism industry contributes over $44 billion to this State, or almost seven percent of the State’s entire economy; and

Whereas, New Jersey’s tourism industry sustains over half a million jobs, or one in 10 jobs in the State, and generates $4.9 billion in government revenues; and

Whereas, On April 28, 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order No. 13795 entitled “Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy”; and

Whereas, The executive order seeks to encourage oil and natural gas production 50 miles offshore from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, the Gulf of Mexico, and areas of Alaska; and

Whereas, Presently there are no active oil or natural gas leases off the Atlantic Coast, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the United States Department of the Interior had not planned to make any available under its current leasing program through 2022; and

Whereas, The executive order requires the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to consider revising the leasing schedule so that it includes annual lease sales to the maximum extent permitted by law in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Regions, among others; and

Whereas, Under the executive order, the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior is required to reconsider rules which require potential operators to have the financial capacity to comply with leasing requirements; and

Whereas, The executive order also calls for the review and reconsideration of safety regulations passed in the aftermath of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil spill of 2010 which are designed to prevent similar environmental disasters; and

Whereas, The executive order also seeks to ease regulatory requirements on seismic airgun surveying used in oil and natural gas exploration, which has been shown to decrease fishery catch rates by 40 to 80 percent and harm a Mid- and South Atlantic commercial fishing industry responsible for billions of dollars annually and over 200,000 jobs; and

Whereas, On May 10, 2017, the United States Department of the Interior announced Secretarial Order No. 3350, which further implements the President’s executive order; and

Whereas, The secretarial order directs the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to develop a new five-year plan with full consideration of the President’s priorities as stated in the executive order; and

Whereas, The secretarial order also directs the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to expedite permitting applications related to seismic airgun surveying and to begin the process of rescinding previous executive actions limiting oil and natural gas production and exploration off the Atlantic Coast; and

Whereas, Opening portions of the Atlantic Ocean for offshore drilling would put at risk beaches, fisheries, marine life, and businesses all along the coast, as New Jersey’s Cape May is only 100 nautical miles from the proposed drilling area; and

Whereas, An oil spill would poison the many types of fish and shellfish that New Jersey residents and visitors eat and harvest for sale around the country and the world; and

Whereas, These executive actions represent a particularly serious threat because they not only call for an expanded drilling area, but also a rollback of safety regulations designed to prevent spills from occurring in the future; and

Whereas, A major oil spill on the East Coast, like the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, could easily reach New Jersey and destroy the State’s coastal resources, cause catastrophic and lasting economic harm, and significantly reduce the quality of life for New Jersey’s residents; and

Whereas, Half of New Jersey’s tourism revenue is generated by the four ocean-facing counties, and even a minor spill off the Atlantic Coast could have a chilling effect on New Jersey’s three-month tourist season, and have major detrimental impacts on this State’s economy; and

Whereas, Under the proposed plan, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia would reap all of the economic benefits of the proposed offshore oil and natural gas drilling, while New Jersey and other coastal states would only bear the risks; and

Whereas, Most importantly, the Trump administration should take into account lessons from disasters such as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and take the necessary steps to protect the people and the economy of the Atlantic Coast from the hazards associated with offshore oil and natural gas drilling; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House opposes the President’s Executive Order No. 13795 of April 28, 2017, “Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy,” and the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior’s Secretarial Order No. 3350 of May 10, 2017, as these orders put coastal economies along the entire Atlantic Coast at needless risk of grave harm.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the United States Department of the Interior, every member of Congress from the State of New Jersey, the Governor of New Jersey, and the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

STATEMENT
This resolution would oppose the President’s April 28, 2017 executive order and a corresponding order by the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, which further encourage oil and natural gas drilling off portions of the Atlantic Coast.

These executive actions threaten the economy of New Jersey and every state along the Atlantic Coast, and should be rescinded in light of the serious potential for grave harm. New Jersey’s 127-mile coast supports a tourism industry worth over $38 billion, or almost seven percent of the State’s entire economy. A major oil spill on the Atlantic Coast, like the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, could easily reach New Jersey and destroy the State’s coastal resources, cause catastrophic and lasting economic harm, and significantly reduce the quality of life for New Jersey residents.

Beyond tourism, an oil spill would also have an impact upon commercial and recreational fishing along the coast of New Jersey. It is estimated that the Mid- and South Atlantic fishing industry generates billions of dollars annually and supports over 200,000 jobs, and oil spills and activities related to drilling (such as seismic surveying) jeopardize this critical industry. The Trump administration should take into account lessons from disasters such as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and implement the necessary steps to protect New Jersey’s coastal economy from the hazards associated with offshore oil and natural gas drilling.

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 6/23/2017)

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