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- Sponsored by: Assemblyman VINCENT MAZZEO District 2 (Atlantic) Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
- Co-Sponsored by: Assemblyman Diegnan SYNOPSIS
- A Concurrent Resolution
- Be It Resolved
- (Sponsorship Updated As Of: 6/5/2015)
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ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 227 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 216th LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED MARCH 23, 2015 
Sponsored by: Assemblyman VINCENT MAZZEO District 2 (Atlantic) Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE District 38 (Bergen and Passaic) Assemblyman BOB ANDRZEJCZAK District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland) Assemblywoman L. GRACE SPENCER District 29 (Essex) Co-Sponsored by: Assemblyman Diegnan SYNOPSIS Urges President to withdraw proposal to open portions of Atlantic Coast for oil and natural gas drilling. CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT As introduced. 
A Concurrent Resolution urging the President to withdraw his proposal to open portions of the Atlantic Coast for oil and natural gas drilling. Whereas, On January 27, 2015, the Obama Administration proposed opening up portions of the Atlantic Coast, 50 miles offshore from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, for offshore oil and natural gas drilling; and Whereas, This proposal, while offering some jobs and a quick source of revenue for some states, threatens the economy and the environment of New Jersey, whose southern coast is just 100 nautical miles from the proposed drilling area, and other coastal states; and Whereas, New Jersey’s 127-mile coast supports a tourism industry worth over $36 billion, or seven percent of the State’s entire economy, and generates recreational and commercial fishing revenues of $2 billion annually; and Whereas, New Jersey’s beaches, boardwalks, resorts, and shore towns sustain over half a million jobs, or one in 10 jobs in the State, and generate $10 billion in government revenues; and Whereas, Opening up portions of the Atlantic Ocean for offshore drilling would put at risk beaches, fisheries, and marine life all along the coast, and threaten ocean-based economies, like New Jersey’s, that rely on them; 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 residents; and Whereas, An oil spill would also harm the fragile marine ecosystem, kill off threatened and endangered species of fish and wildlife, and 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, 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, If oil drilling is not safe in certain parts of Alaska, where the Obama Administration has proposed banning oil and natural gas drilling outright, it is not safe for the Atlantic Coast; and Whereas, With oil and natural gas reserves at an all-time high, and gasoline usage projected to drop significantly over the next few decades due to more energy-efficient automobiles, offshore drilling on the East Coast is not necessary and the risks far outweigh the rewards; and Whereas, The administration should focus its energy policy on expanding renewable energy production, rather than jeopardizing coastal economies and the environment with the extraction of more fossil fuels; and Whereas, Most importantly, the administration should take into account lessons from disasters such as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and take the necessary steps to protect people and the environment 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 (the Senate concurring): 1. The President of the United States is respectfully urged to withdraw his proposal to open portions of the Atlantic Coast for oil and natural gas drilling, as such drilling would put coastal economies and the environment of New Jersey and other coastal States 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 or the Secretary of the Senate 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, and the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. STATEMENT This resolution would urge the President to withdraw his proposal to open portions of the Atlantic Coast for oil and natural gas drilling. The proposal, while offering some jobs and a quick source of revenue for some states, threatens the economy and the environment of New Jersey and other coastal states. For instance, New Jersey’s 127-mile coast supports a tourism industry worth over $36 billion, or seven percent of the State’s entire economy, and generates recreational and commercial fishing revenues of $2 billion annually. 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 residents. A spill could also threaten the many endangered and threatened species that call the Jersey Shore home. With oil and natural gas reserves at an all-time high, and gasoline usage projected to drop significantly over the next few decades due to more energy-efficient automobiles, offshore drilling on the East Coast is not necessary and the risks far outweigh the rewards. The Obama Administration should focus its energy policy on expanding renewable energy production, rather than jeopardizing coastal economies and the environment with the extraction of more fossil fuels. Most importantly, the administration should take into account lessons from disasters such as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and take the necessary steps to protect people and the environment from the hazards associated with offshore oil and natural gas drilling. (Sponsorship Updated As Of: 6/5/2015) Directory: 20142015 -> ACR 20142015 -> All times Eastern (Updated 1/12/15) 20142015 -> Assembly resolution no. 186 State of new jersey 216th legislature 20142015 -> Assembly, No. 3809 state of new jersey 216th legislature 20142015 -> Senate, No. 2351 state of new jersey 216th legislature 20142015 -> Assembly, No. 4835 state of new jersey 216th legislature 20142015 -> Assembly resolution no. 108 State of new jersey 216th legislature 20142015 -> State of new jersey 20142015 -> Senate resolution no. 53 State of new jersey 216th legislature 20142015 -> Assembly, No. 2791 state of new jersey 216th legislature ACR -> Assembly concurrent resolution no. 156 State of new jersey 216th legislature Download 30.11 Kb. Share with your friends:
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