Seismic Testing Stalled

A U.S. District judge in Alaska ruled March 29 that the Trump Administration’s plans to open much of the nation’s continental shelf to offshore gas and oil exploration are illegal. The ruling stalls U.S. Department of the Interior efforts to issue licenses for seismic testing and exploration. The prospect had mobilized widespread opposition by many organizations in tourist-dependent Cape May County.  
Judge Sharon Gleeson ruled that any reversal of existing policy which withdrew 128 million acres of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans from oil and gas leasing would require an act of Congress and could not be accomplished by executive order. Appeals would likely be filed but the process could take months.
In January 2018, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a plan that called for selling drilling rights to more than 90 percent of the nation’s coastal waters. Oil and gas industry officials urged the agency to continue with the process of lease sales even while the appeals process plays out.
A U.S. Department of the Interior notice stated that the agency is “evaluating all of its options.” 
Cape May County Statement 
CREST HAVEN – “We are happy to hear the news that there will be no immediate attempt to drill off the New Jersey coast,” according to a Cape May County release. 
Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton has advocated against offshore drilling near the Cape May County coast since he first took office over 40 years ago. That support has been bolstered by the current members of the freeholder board. “The county will continue to be vigilant to fight against future attempts that could impact our tourism, fishing, and general economy.” 
Cape May Co. Chamber of Commerce Statement 
COURT HOUSE – The Department of Interior is backtracking on their offshore oil plans in response to a federal judge’s ruling last month which confirmed that an Obama-era ban on drilling must be upheld until Congress passes legislation that says otherwise. 
U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced April 25 a plan to indefinitely postpone their proposal. Since its inception the Trump Administration’s plan to open wide swaths of ocean to offshore oil and gas, has been met with strong bipartisan and grass-roots opposition. 
According to Vicki Clark, president of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, “Here in Cape May County, our local business community, private citizens, local and county government officials, and members of our state legislature have been working together to ensure our opposition has been heard in DC. Cape May County relies on a flourishing tourism, seafood, and coastal economy.  Until this plan to open the Atlantic Ocean to offshore oil and gas is dead in the water, we will continue our fight. The announcement from Secretary Bernhardt is only a temporary reprieve from the threat of offshore oil and gas disasters. While we celebrate this victory, we will continue our efforts to ensure full protection of the Atlantic Coast.