Oregon Could Be Exempt From Trump's Offshore Drilling Plan

SALEM, OR -- Oregon could be exempt from the recently announced offshore drilling plans by the Trump administration. Gov. Kate Brown reportedly told the media last week that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is considering a proposal to exempt the state.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced plans to expand offshore drilling, lifting bans imposed by President Barack Obama. The governors of several states, including Oregon, criticized the plan, stating it would hurt wildlife and the overall environment.

In a joint statement with the governors of Washington and California earlier this month, Brown said the "political decision to open the magnificent and beautiful Pacific Coast waters to oil and gas drilling flies in the face of decades of strong opposition on the part of Washington, Oregon and California – from Republicans and Democrats alike.

“They’ve chosen to forget the utter devastation of past offshore oil spills to wildlife and to the fishing, recreation and tourism industries in our states. They’ve chosen to ignore the science that tells us our climate is changing and we must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. But we won’t forget history or ignore science," the statement read. “For more than 30 years, our shared coastline has been protected from further federal drilling and we’ll do whatever it takes to stop this reckless, short-sighted action.”

The Associated Press reported that Brown and Zinke spoke for nearly 30 minutes, where Zinke said he would consider exempting Oregon.

--Photo via Pixabay/Catmoz

Also See:

Trump Wants Offshore Drilling Expanded

Trump Administration Pushes For Ocean Drilling Off California