CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce applauds the Christie Administration for its statement opposing offshore exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources off the coast of New Jersey or any area of the Atlantic that could adversely affect our pristine coastal communities, fishing estuaries and vibrant tourism economy.
The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Clean Ocean Action and the Jersey Shore Partnership, along with other concerned organizations, encouraged Governor Christie to issue this statement before the Aug. 17 deadline to submit comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
BOEM has issued a Request for Information for the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. According to Vicki Clark, President of the Chamber, “If this plan moves forward, seismic testing would be conducted, searching for oil. Seismic testing is extremely dangerous to marine mammals, sea turtles and fishing estuaries, posing a real threat to not only these species, many of which are endangered, but also to the recreational and commercial industries dependent on them. This in addition to the horrific images of oil soaked dolphins, birds and fish when oil spills occur is a threat to New Jersey’s coast that we are not willing to risk.”
The Chamber would like to thank all the individuals, businesses and organizations who joined in this effort to secure Governor Christie’s opposition by calling and writing his office.
