Governors want offshore oil drilling exemptions, too

By giving Florida a waiver from its massive offshore drilling proposal, the Trump administration has opened a door that virtually every East Coast state, including those led by Republicans, is now trying to rush through.

Republican governors over the past 10 days have increasingly spoken out against Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s plan, which if implemented could result in oil exploration off almost all of America’s coastlines. Liberal governors on the West Coast, not surprisingly, vehemently oppose the idea.

But Republicans on the East Coast also are demanding their states be given a pass just like the one given to Florida, which Mr. Zinke said must be exempted because of unique geological and water current conditions — a conclusion he reached only after a closed-door meeting with Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican and likely Senate candidate in a key swing state.

Other GOP-controlled states say they, like Florida, will face grave harm from drilling, though it remains to be seen whether they have the clout to sway the administration.

“From Little River and Myrtle Beach, to Georgetown and Charleston, to Hilton Head and Beaufort and Daufuskie Island, our economy and culture depend on a living, pristine coastline. Every municipality along our coast has voted to oppose drilling and seismic testing. They are right,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, said during his State of the State address last week. “With offshore drilling comes the construction of onshore infrastructure — refineries, gas storage tanks, maintenance and operating facilities, trucks and traffic. We have no place to put it. It is incompatible with everything we have and do on our coast.”

His comments came on the heels of a letter signed by seven East Coast governors, including Republicans Larry Hogan of Maryland and Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, also demanding their states be removed from the plan.“Like Florida, each of our states has unique natural resources and an economy that is reliant on tourism as an essential driver. We support the notion of energy diversity, but the environmental and economic importance of the Atlantic Ocean must be weighed against the potential unintended consequences of these types of activities,” they wrote in the letter to Mr. Zinke.

“The irreversible impact on ecosystems including marine mammals, fish, sea turtles, and other aquatic life that inhabit the ocean offshore is gravely concerning,” they continued, “as is potential risk and harm to our state’s economies, our natural resources, our military installations, and our residents.”

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, did not sign the letter but has also expressed concerns about offshore drilling off his coast. Just before leaving office this month, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, also a Republican, also asked the administration to exempt his state.

Republican governors in Gulf of Mexico states, other than Florida, haven’t been as outspoken.

But even in Alaska, Republican leaders say the Interior Department needs to rethink its far-reaching proposal, which spared very few waters. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, said last week that certain areas off of Alaska’s coasts should be exempted, and she also said she expects waivers such as the one granted to Florida to be given to others.

“He will take things off just as he took Florida off and as he will be taking other matters off as the process moves forward,” she told reporters last Thursday.

The mad dash to escape the drilling plan — which as originally proposed would’ve covered about 90 percent of total U.S. offshore acreage — stems from just how quickly the administration backtracked on Florida. On Jan. 4, Mr. Zinke outlined the drilling plan on a conference call with reporters, and it included plans to drill off of Florida’s coasts.

Just five days later, he removed Florida from the proposal, stoking speculation that the administration was doing political favors for Mr. Scott, who reportedly is considering a Senate run against incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.

It’s also unclear whether Mr. Zinke’s decision constitutes a formal withdrawal of Florida from the plan; final changes may have to wait until the end of a 60-day public-comment period, which began earlier this month.

The entire issue has given environmental critics ammunition to attack the president and Mr. Zinke, for their muddied approach.

“The White House should not be in the business of trading political favors at the expense of U.S. communities, particularly those that aren’t favored by Beltway elites,” said Tim Donaghy, a senior research specialist at the environmental group Greenpeace. “Offshore oil drilling will wreak havoc on our climate and our coasts, be they in Virginia, Louisiana, Alaska or California. Zinke should listen to the many governors who have said that they don’t want offshore oil drilling endangering their economies, communities and vital resources.”