Press Releases

Vice-Ranking Member of the House Science Committee Rep. Don Beyer today issued the following statement on President Trump’s Executive Order to expand drilling and petroleum exploration in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans:

“This decision by President Trump is another gift to the fossil fuel industry from an Administration that has shown unprecedented hostility to environmental protection. His Order is misguided, bad for coastal economies, and represents more destructive apathy on climate change.

The good news is that today’s Executive Order will not be the last word on drilling. An array of environmental groups has already announced their intention to challenge this move in court. Coastal communities, whose economies will be hardest hit by any drilling and associated seismic activity, will continue to block petroleum exploration with legislation at the state and local level. And my bill in Congress to ban seismic airgun blasting in the Atlantic, the Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act, continues to gain support from both sides of the aisle.”

Rep. Beyer, who also serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced legislation earlier this week with Republican Representative Frank LoBiondo, of New Jersey, to protect marine life in the Atlantic from seismic airgun blasting.