Press Release Subject: Offshore Drilling Along the Atlantic Coast announcement Date: March 15, 2015 Who: South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce Contact: Frank Knapp Jr., 803-252-5733, 803-600-6874 cell
Today the Obama Administration announced that it has removed the Mid-and South Atlantic areas from its Draft Proposed Program Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022.
“We heard from many corners that now is not the time to offer oil and gas leasing off the Atlantic coast,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “When you factor in conflicts with national defense, economic activities such as fishing and tourism, and opposition from many local communities, it simply doesn’t make sense to move forward with any lease sales in the coming five years.”
In January of last year the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce announced its opposition to offshore seismic testing and drilling for oil and gas along the Atlantic coast. Shortly thereafter the efforts of volunteer grassroots organizations, local coastal governments and well over 400 South Carolina small businesses to protect our tourism economy built to a crescendo culminating in today’s announcement.
“Risking South Carolina’s over 80,000 tourism, fishing and recreation jobs that contribute over $7 billion annually to our economy would have been a terrible business decision for our state,” said Frank Knapp Jr., president and CEO of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce. “Offshore drilling is a dirty business guaranteed to put oil on our beaches. The industry is incompatible with our healthy ocean, magnificent beaches and thriving small business communities.”
“Today is truly a great day in South Carolina,” said Knapp.