DENNIS – The Association to Preserve Cape Cod is none too happy with the President of the United States’ plan to open vast regions of the U.S. continental shelf to offshore oil drilling.
Officials with the organization contend that President Trump’s decision, announced last week could, perhaps, imperil Cape Cod and its surrounding waters.
The APCC has been joined in their commendation by Cape and Islands Congressman Bill Keating.
“Reckless does not begin to describe the Trump Administration’s decision to expand offshore oil and gas drilling coast-to-coast,” Keating said in a statement.
“This unprecedented move ignores concerns expressed by military leaders and the deep and widespread bipartisan opposition voiced by municipal and state representatives.”
The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced plans to allow drilling in American-controlled waters in the Arctic, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific.
The order would make approximately 90 percent of the U.S. continental shelf available for offshore drilling leases. The decision aims to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil, frequently controlled by regimes that do not have our nation’s best interest at heart.
Alas, environmental concerns has the APCC seeing red.
“APCC is currently weighing the proper course of action to take in response to this grave and irresponsible environmental threat,” said Andrew Gottlieb, APCC’s executive director.
“It can be assured that we will be dogged in fighting to block this policy decision and to ensure that Cape Cod’s ocean waters and the rich diversity of natural resources it supports, as well as the Cape’s coastal economy, are protected.”
The Trump Administration’s announcement marks a dramatic reversal from the policies adopted by Former President Obama to ban domestic drilling in any area of the country where oil may be present.
According to the APCC, the principal concern is that offshore oil gathering could lead to a spill which, should it occur, could be devastating to both the Cape’s fragile environment, and equally fragile tourism-based economy.
“The Water quality is the entire economy on Cape Cod,” said Gottlieb, “If we are exposing our beaches and our waters to oil and gas spills, we’re jeopardizing everything that is the foundation of the economy on Cape Cod.”
All that said, however, there appears that there is little that the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, or even Congressman Keating can do beyond publically gripe. In the United States the President is in charge, just as President Obama unilaterally banned offshore drilling in these regions, President Trump can un-ban them.
By DAVID BEATTY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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