Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced today that in response to the Trump Administration’s announcement of increasing offshore oil and gas drilling, 227 members of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators signed a letter to be delivered to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. The signatures represent legislators from 17 coastal states who oppose the draft oil and gas leasing program, including Assemblyman Thiele.

This leasing program seeks to make a majority of the United States Outer Continental Shelf open to oil and gas exploration and construction, representing the first time in decades that many states’ coasts would be exposed to such development and potential harm.

Thiele stated, “I signed this letter because this leasing program threatens New York’s environment and economy, which depend on clean oceans, bays, wetlands and beaches. This state is home to 3 of the 28 estuaries of national significance, including the Peconic Bay, New York Harbor and Long Island Sound. Our Long Island South Shore Bays are designated as an estuary of state significance. Tourism and fishing are major New York industries that depend on clean water and pristine beaches. All of this would be put at risk by permitting oil and gas drilling off of our coast. It is a reckless proposal that must be rejected out of hand. An oil spill off the coast of Long Island would destroy our economy and our quality of life.”

“These state legislators are committed to protecting the coastlines of the United States,” said Jeff Mauk, Executive Director of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. “They understand the economic and environmental importance of our coasts and are standing together against this proposal.”

The letter, spearheaded by Washington State Senator Kevin Ranker and California State Senator Kevin De Leon, cites numerous issues that come with offshore drilling. These issues range from the large-scale, irreparable damage caused by oil spills, to the long-term damage to coastal economies after these disasters.

“This reckless proposal opens over 90 percent of U.S. shorelines to new oil and gas drilling, putting our economy and marine environment at risk of a catastrophic oil spill," said Sen. Kevin Ranker. “States across the country are standing up together against the Trump administration to protect our communities, our marine and coastal environment and economy.”

Coastal tourism, fisheries, shipping and defense are not only critical economic drivers in some states, but they are the underpinning of all U.S. coastal states’ economies. NOAA reports that coastal communities alone provide 45 percent of our nation’s gross domestic product. Furthermore, California, Oregon, and Washington combined represent the fifth largest economy in the world, a level of prosperity that would not be achieved without their ocean-dependent industries. It is clear that U.S. coastlines are a fundamental part of the nation’s economic activity and would be threatened by the offshore drilling plan.

Created by and for state legislators, the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes over 1,000 environmentally-committed state legislators from all 50 states and both parties. NCEL provides venues and opportunities for lawmakers to share ideas and collaborate on environmental issues.

The full text of the letter is available here.