Bernhardt announces an indefinite delay to the administration’s unpopular offshore drilling expansion

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Environment America

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the Wall Street Journal that the administration’s offshore drilling plan has been indefinitely delayed as a result of a court ruling blocking drilling in the Arctic. The Secretary said the administration will wait for the appeals process to run its course before proceeding.

Steve Blackledge, Environment America’s conservation program director, issued the following statement in response to Secretary Bernhardt’s announcement:

“It’s a good day in America when the administration announces it will delay plans to massively expand offshore oil drilling. This is welcome news because, while the delay may stem more from the court ruling, it’s a decision that makes even more sense based on the fact that expanding offshore drilling in 2019 is wildly unpopular.

“America’s coasts are beautiful and awe-inspiring. At a moment in time when clean renewable technologies are rapidly advancing, there’s no logical case to expand drilling along our coasts and industrialize our shorelines.

“Coastal communities and all who love oceans should be temporarily relieved, but, of course, the administration is likely to raise this dirty and dangerous idea again in the near future. So we’ll stand ready.”

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Environment America is a national network with affiliates in 29 states. Our staff and members work to protect the places we love, advance the environmental values we share, and win real results for our environment. Environment America is part of The Public Interest Network, which runs organizations committed to our vision of a better world, a set of core values, and a strategic approach to getting things done.

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