Pallone Reintroduces Offshore Drilling Ban Bill

LONG BRANCH—Congressman Frank Pallone Jr (D-NJ) announced on Friday that he would reintroduce legislation that would ban drilling for gas and oil in the Atlantic Ocean.

If passed, The Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act would prohibit the Department of Interior from issuing exploration, development, or production leases for oil or gas drilling along the Atlantic Coast. The reintroduction of this bill coincides with a bipartisan effort across the country to ban offshore drilling in all U.S. federal waters permanently.

“As the world transitions to a clean economy, there’s simply no logical reason to put our coastal communities and ocean ecosystems at risk with unnecessary and dangerous drilling off our coast. Emissions from offshore drilling fuel the climate crisis and threaten vulnerable coastal communities and wildlife,” Pallone said in a press release.

“We must work toward a clean economy that permanently bans offshore drilling, protects coastal economies, and creates jobs. President Biden’s early action to protect our coastline from offshore drilling is a good first step, and I’m looking forward to working with the President to ensure we enact a permanent ban on this dangerous practice.”