October 2012, Vol. 239 No. 10

Projects

Governors Coalition Points Out Flaws In Proposed OCS Leasing Plan

National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Randall Luthi issued the following statement regarding a letter from the OCS Governors Coalition to President Obama, airing concerns with the Proposed Final OCS Leasing Plan for 2012-2017:

“NOIA commends the OCS Governors Coalition for addressing the problems associated with the administration’s deeply disappointing five-year plan. While other nations are actively increasing their ability to produce oil and natural gas off their shores, the proposed final OCS leasing plan keeps 85% of America’s federal waters off-limits at a time when exploring every possible energy source is critical to boosting our nation’s economy and creating jobs. Studies estimate that producing America’s currently off limits resources could sustain up to 1.2 million new jobs and generate as much as $1.3 trillion for government at all levels.

“The plan also fails to reinstate a previously canceled lease sale offshore Virginia, despite bipartisan support from both Democratic U.S. senators, the Republican governor and a majority of state legislators.”