Clean Ocean Advocate, August 2006
NJ’S US SENATORS VOW TO FIGHT OCEAN DRILLING
US Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), US Representative Frank Pallone, Jr., and NJ Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson were joined at a Long Branch press conference on July 14 by Clean Ocean Action, Surfrider Foundation, Surfers’ Environmental Alliance, and NJ Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG) to oppose a deal struck by several US Senators that would set the stage to wipe-out 25 years of ocean protection.
At press time, the US Senate was preparing to vote on S. 3711. The bill would open 3 million more acres off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling. While this threatens our global ocean, what is additionally dangerous is that the real purpose of the bill is a “bait-and-switch.” Passage of the Senate Bill will enable a Conference Committee to combine this seemingly focused expansion of drilling in the Gulf with the appallingly bad Pombo bill—an all out national ocean assault on all three US coasts.
New Jersey’s two US Senators have promised to block, through whatever means necessary, any drilling legislation. At a July 14 news conference, US Senator Menendez (D-NJ) vowed a filibuster to block any oil drilling bill and said, “I’m ready to talk all day and all night if I have to.”
Senator Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stating their opposition to drilling. US Senator Clinton (D-NY) has voiced opposition to the bill; unfortunately, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he will support this Trojan Horse bill.
To see how the votes were cast in our region, go to COA’s website or call COA at 732-872-0111.
