AmericasEnvironmentOffshore

Californians protest offshore drilling plan at BOEM public meeting in state capital

Protestors rallied outside a meeting of the Bureau of Ocean Energy management (BOE) in Sacramento, California, according to Reuters.

Environmentalists were mobilized against the Department of the Interior’s (BOEM) planned expansion of offshore drilling to all coastal areas of the US, but specifically focused on the plans for California.

BOEM is an agency under DOI and is responsible for managing exploration and development of the nation’s offshore energy and mineral resources.

It was holding a public meeting at the state Capitol building where officials spoke with members of the public about the plan and received public comments.

The protests came a day after California officials announced they would refuse to issue pipeline permits for oil coming ashore, saying they do not want offshore oil to cross the state.

Those sentiments were joined by similar opposition comments from the California Coastal Commission and the state’s Natural Resources secretary John Laird, each requesting that California be removed from offshore drilling plans.

In response, a BOEM spokesman said that a state’s input is taken on board and has led in the past to drilling plans being scaled back.

Donal Scully

With 28 years experience writing and editing for newspapers in the UK and Hong Kong, Donal is now based in California from where he covers the Americas for Splash as well as ensuring the site is loaded through the Western Hemisphere timezone.
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