Blasts efforts to open the East Coast to drilling

Washington (January 6, 2017) – Today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) praised the Obama administration’s decision to deny six pending applications to conduct seismic airgun testing for oil and gas in the Atlantic Ocean. In 2014, Senator Markey joined eight of his colleagues in highlighting the threat to coastal economies and marine life posed by oil and gas seismic testing and urging the Interior Department to use the best available science.

Below is a statement from Senator Markey, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.

“Seismic airgun testing for oil and gas is a significant threat to marine life and coastal economies. The Obama administration’s actions today to protect the Atlantic Ocean from this harmful oil and gas activity will reverberate up and down the East Coast. In New England, we know that oil and water don’t mix and I will fight any attempt by the Trump administration to open up our coastlines to oil and gas drilling. I applaud President Obama and Secretary Jewell for their continued efforts to protect our fishing and tourism industries and environment on the East Coast from the threat of an offshore oil spill.”