Arian Rubio, Somerset
New Jerseyans are excited that the Obama Administration removed Atlantic drilling leases from its 2017-2022 offshore drilling proposal. As a resident of the 12th Congressional District and an intern for the League of Conservation Voters, I’ve been particularly excited to see Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman come out so strongly — along with U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez — against offshore drilling in the Atlantic.
Offshore drilling is bad for New Jersey and our environment — we deserve better. Rather than moving forward with more fossil fuel development, we need to accelerate our transition to clean energy.
Communities along the Jersey Shore rely on tourism, fishing, and recreation for their economies. This is why numerous New Jersey communities, businesses, and public officials from Cape May County to Middlesex County have openly disapproved of Atlantic drilling, which puts those businesses at risk of a spill. That’s why it’s such a relief that drilling in the Atlantic won’t be moving forward.
Now it’s time to direct our focus to offshore drilling in the Arctic, which remains on the table in the Obama Administration’s proposal. For the sake of our oceans, our communities, and our climate, we need to permanently protect the pristine Arctic Ocean from drilling before this plan is finalized later this year.
Arian Rubio
Somerset
