New Jersey has continued its efforts to combat any offshore
oil or gas development. New Jersey Attorney General 1st House, Grewal has
recently filed a law suit against the Department of Interior, over a failure to
response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request submitted back in April
2018.
The initial FOIA request sought all information relating to conversations
between U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Florida Governor Rick Scott in
the run-up to the Administration’s announcement in January 2018 Florida would
be exempt from offshore drilling. Failure to respond within the statutory period
is considered a denial and enables the petitioner to sue.
As we wait for the final plan to be released all eyes on are
the states to block offshore oil and gas efforts. Currently there is pending
legislation in New York (A. 9819 and S. 8017), which would both prohibit oil
and gas development in coastal waters, and ban any infrastructure necessary for
offshore development in federal waters. New Jersey, California and Delaware
have all passed similar bills, and COA urges New York and all other coastal
states to join the movement. Furthermore, the State of New Jersey must continue
to petition the Department of Interior for a formal exemption, and information
on why other coastal states are considered off limits.
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