NJ Legislators Oppose Plans For Drilling Off Parts Of Atlantic Coast
By David Madden
TRENTON, NJ. (CBS) -- New Jersey legislators are working on a measure to express their displeasure over plans by the Obama Administration to allow for oil and natural gas drilling off the Atlantic Coast.
A resolution sponsored by three assembly members allows legislators on both sides of the aisle to tell the White House exactly where they stand. Atlantic County Democrat Vince Mazzeo suggests this goes far beyond the usual tourism concerns.
"Natural gas and oil is at an all time high as far as reserves," says Mazzeo. "So we don't see the importance of trying to establish this. The only people who will probably profit from this would be the oil companies."
Mazzeo also argues any drilling in the Atlantic could trigger a natural disaster not unlike the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Virginia is about a hundred miles south from New Jersey," he says. "It would still have an impact to our area if something happened that wasn't good as far as an oil spill."
Particularly when you talk about the Garden State's tourism industry.
It's thought the resolution might be useful to the state's congressional delegation as they seek to stop the administrative change, announced in January, which would allow for drilling 50 miles offshore from Virginia through Georgia.