Interior Secretary agrees to come to Delaware to discuss off-shore drilling

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Creative Commons photo of platform off the coast of California.
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Delaware Gov. John Carney said Friday that   Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zenke will visit Delaware to discuss plans to allow drilling off the Atlantic Coast.

Carney said he spoke by phone with Zenke and released the following statement after requesting a meeting with the Interior Secretary.

 “I want to thank Secretary Zinke for taking time to discuss the risks associated with offshore oil and gas drilling. During our conversation, I invited the Secretary to visit Delaware to see firsthand what’s at stake for our state, our beach communities, our economy, and our natural resources. He accepted the invitation, and we look forward to his visit.”

Carney went on to state: “As we’ve said publicly, drilling off Delaware’s coast would create the risk of a catastrophic spill that would have devastating effects on Delaware’s economy and our environment. Our coastal economy generates $7 billion in economic activity, and supports more than 60,000 jobs in the fishing, tourism, and recreation sectors. The health of Delaware’s economy and environment are directly tied to the health of our coastal areas. Delaware simply cannot accept the risks associated with offshore drilling, and we will continue express our concerns to the Trump Administration. I was encouraged by my conversation with Secretary Zinke today and look forward to continued dialogue.”

Zenke had earlier exempted Florida from a plan to expand drilling to coastal areas in the East and West coasts.

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That decision led Carney and other governors to request meetings with Zenke to discuss their concerns.

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