[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 20, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1838-S1840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-186. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts urging the 
     United States Department of the Interior to limit the 
     proposed expansion of the national outer continental shelf 
     oil and gas leasing program and to protect the waters off the 
     coasts of the Commonwealth and New England; to the Committee 
     on Energy and Natural Resources.

                              Resolutions

       Whereas, on January 4, 2018, the United States Department 
     of the Interior announced the publication of a Draft Proposed 
     Program in support of its National Outer Continental Shelf 
     Oil and Gas Leasing Program, and
       Whereas, as evidenced in Executive Order 13795, issued by 
     the President of the United States on April 28, 2017, and 
     Order 3350 issued by Secretary Ryan Zinke of the United 
     States Department of the Interior on May 1, 2017, publication 
     of the Draft Proposed Program is a critically important step 
     in an effort by the Federal Government to open up offshore 
     oil drilling in most coastal waters of the United States; and
       Whereas, to gauge public reaction and receive substantive 
     input, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will conduct a 
     public hearing in the city of Boston; and
       Whereas, the Draft Proposed Program purports to open up 
     approximately 1.5 billion acres of territory to oil drilling 
     and exploration, including important areas off the coast of 
     Massachusetts and New England, and would approve as many as 
     47 drilling leases, which would be the largest number of such 
     leases, offered in the history of the United States; and
       Whereas, the administration's actions threaten to 
     jeopardize the environmental well being of the Commonwealth 
     and, more particularly, its coastal communities and waters; 
     and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth supports Energy Diversity, but 
     the environmental and economic importance of the waters off 
     the coast of the Commonwealth must be weighed against the 
     benefits claimed for speculative offshore drilling, and
       Whereas, offshore drilling could threaten the enjoyment of 
     recreational fishing and the vitality of the Commonwealth's 
     Fishing Industry, which provides income and employment for 
     commercial fishermen, vessel manufacturers, restaurants and 
     other businesses throughout Massachusetts; and
       Whereas, according to the National Marine Fisheries 
     Service, the Massachusetts Fishing Industry generates 83,000 
     jobs and approximately $1.9 billion in income annually; and
       Whereas, there is the potential for irreversible damage to 
     areas such as Stellwagen Bank, Georges Bank and Jeffreys 
     Ledge, which are among the richest fishing grounds in the 
     world and are home to a diverse array of Marine Life; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth possesses a pristine and 
     biodiverse coastal zone, which is an essential driver of 
     tourism for the Commonwealth; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth's economy is reliant on tourism, 
     which is its third largest economic sector and responsible 
     for more than 100,000 jobs; and
       Whereas, inhabitants of, and visitors to, our coastal 
     communities support many important business sectors ranging 
     from boat manufacturing and repair to tourism activities such 
     as whale and bird watching; and
       Whereas, the risk posed by speculative oil exploration 
     initiatives to all of these economic and other existing and 
     known benefits is not justifiable; and
       Whereas, on January 9, 2018, the United States Department 
     of the Interior announced that the State of Florida would be 
     exempted from the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and 
     Gas Leasing Program, and
       Whereas, the Massachusetts Senate opposes the United States 
     Department of the Interior's Draft Proposed Program to vastly 
     expand offshore drilling in America's coastal waters off New 
     England; now therefore be it
       Resolved, that the Massachusetts Senate hereby memorializes 
     the United States Department of the Interior to take all 
     possible action to protect the waters off the coast of the 
     Commonwealth and New England, in particular Georges Bank, 
     Stellwagen Bank, and Jeffreys Ledge, and exempt these areas 
     from oil exploration initiatives; and be it further
       Resolved, that copies of these resolutions be transmitted 
     forthwith by the Clerk of the Senate to Ryan Zinke, Secretary 
     of the United States Department of the Interior, Charles 
     Baker, Governor of the Commonwealth and to the Members of 
     Congress from the Commonwealth.
                                  ____

       POM-187. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     California relative to a new 5-year National Offshore Oil and 
     Gas Leasing Program on the Outer Continental Shelf; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                        Senate Resolution No. 73

       Whereas, California's iconic coastal and marine waters are 
     one of our state's most precious resources, and it is our 
     duty to protect our coast and ensure the long-term viability 
     of California's wildlife and fisheries resources, as well as 
     the multibillion dollar commercial and recreational fishing 
     and tourism industries; and
       Whereas, Hundreds of millions of California residents and 
     visitors enjoy the state's ocean and coast for recreation, 
     exploration, and relaxation; and tourism and recreation 
     comprise the largest sector of the state's $44.5 billion 
     ocean economy; and
       Whereas, 500,000 jobs rely on a clean California coast, 
     including California's $7 billion commercial fishing 
     industry; and
       Whereas, There have been no new offshore oil and gas leases 
     in California since the 1969 blowout of a well in federal 
     waters; and
       Whereas, Beginning in 1921, and many times since, the 
     California Legislature has enacted laws that withdrew certain 
     offshore areas from oil and gas leasing, and by 1989 the 
     state's offshore oil and gas leasing moratorium was in place; 
     and
       Whereas, In 1994, the California Legislature made findings 
     in Assembly Bill 2444 (Chapter 970 of the Statutes of 1994) 
     that offshore oil and gas production in certain areas of the 
     state's waters poses an unacceptably high risk of damage and 
     disruption to the marine environment; and
       Whereas, In the same bill, the Legislature created the 
     California Coastal Sanctuary Act, which included all of the 
     state's unleased waters subject to tidal influence and 
     prohibited new oil and gas leases in the sanctuary, unless 
     the President of the United States has found a severe energy 
     supply interruption and has ordered distribution of the 
     Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Governor finds that the 
     energy resources of the sanctuary will contribute 
     significantly to alleviating that interruption, and the 
     Legislature subsequently amends Chapter 970 of the Statutes 
     of 1994 to allow that extraction; and
       Whereas, Section 18 of the federal Outer Continental Shelf 
     Lands Act (43 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 et seq.) requires the 
     preparation of a nationwide offshore oil and gas leasing 
     program that sets a five-year schedule of lease sales 
     implemented by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management within 
     the United States Department of the Interior; and
       Whereas, Consistent with the principles of Section 18 and 
     the resulting regionally tailored leasing strategy, the 
     current exclusion of the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf from 
     new oil and gas development is consistent with the 
     longstanding interests of the Pacific coast states, as framed 
     in the 2006 West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health 
     adopted by the Governors of California, Washington, and 
     Oregon; and
       Whereas, In November 2016, the federal Bureau of Ocean 
     Energy Management released a final 2017-22 leasing program 
     that continues the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the 
     undeveloped areas of the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf; and
       Whereas, Governor Brown, in December 2016, requested that 
     then President Obama permanently withdraw California's Outer 
     Continental Shelf from new oil and gas leasing, and along 
     with previous California Governors, has united with the 
     Governors of Oregon and Washington in an effort to commit to 
     developing robust renewable energy sources to reduce our 
     dependence on fossil fuel and help us reach our carbon 
     emission goals; and
       Whereas, The California Legislature has led the nation with 
     its landmark climate change legislation, requiring ambitious 
     greenhouse gas emission reductions of a 40-percent emissions 
     reduction below1990 levels by 2030, and achieving a 
     renewables portfolio standard of 50 percent by 2030. 
     California must lead the nation in fostering the transition 
     away from offshore fossil fuel production to protect both our 
     climate and oceans from the damaging impacts of climate 
     change, which will affect all life on earth for generations 
     to come; and
       Whereas, A Field/IGS (Institute of Governmental Studies) 
     poll in 2016 found 90 percent of Californians believe that 
     protecting the coastline is important and a Public Policy 
     Institute of California 2017 survey found support for 
     drilling here at an all-time low of 25 percent; and
       Whereas, President Donald Trump's proposed five-year 
     National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program represents a 
     renewed call for opening offshore areas for drilling and for 
     lifting moratoriums on energy production in federal areas, 
     that could lead to

[[Page S1839]]

     more oil spills, increased dependence on fossil fuel, and 
     more damaging impact from climate change; and
       Whereas, The California Legislature considers new oil and 
     gas development offshore of the Pacific coast to be a threat 
     to the nation's economy and national security, and to the 
     state's ambitious renewable energy goals; and
       Whereas, The California State Senate has previously adopted 
     Senate Resolutions 35, 44, and 51 in 2017, which support the 
     current federal prohibition on new oil or gas drilling in 
     federal waters offshore California, oppose attempts to modify 
     the prohibition, and defend the National Marine Sanctuaries 
     of the United States; and
       Whereas, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced 
     plans on January 4, 2018, for a Draft Proposed Program that 
     would include nearly the entire U.S. Outer Continental Shelf 
     for potential oil and gas lease sales pursuant to President 
     Trump's executive order on American energy that was issued on 
     April 28, 2017; and
       Whereas, The proposed program would open up 6 leases off 
     the coast of California, which would be the first sale in the 
     Pacific Region since 1984; and
       Whereas, Despite the Trump administration's assertion of 
     support for the program from state and local governments, the 
     States of Washington, Oregon, and California have been 
     consistently united in their opposition to any new oil and 
     gas activities off their coasts, which has resulted in the 
     exclusion of the Pacific coast's Outer Continental Shelf from 
     any National Outer Continental Shelf Program since the 1989-
     92 program; and
       Whereas, Republican and Democratic Governors alike are 
     opposed to the expansion of lease sales off the coast of the 
     United States; and
       Whereas, The Trump administration announced on January 9, 
     2018, that it retracted its plan to expand offshore oil 
     leases off the coast of Florida after receiving feedback from 
     Florida Republican Governor Rick Scott, and the Senate 
     believes California should receive this same exemption; and
       Whereas, The Trump administration has taken the position 
     that state and local input is an important part of the 
     leasing process; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the 
     Senate strongly urges the President and the Congress of the 
     United States to permanently safeguard and protect the 
     Pacific coast's Outer Continental Shelf from new oil and gas 
     leasing, and declares the Senate's unequivocal support for 
     the current federal prohibition on new oil or gas drilling in 
     federal waters offshore of the Pacific coast, its opposition 
     to the proposed 5-year National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing 
     Program on the Outer Continental Shelf or any attempts to 
     modify that prohibition, and its determination to consider 
     any appropriate actions to maintain the current prohibition; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to the National Program Manager of the 
     federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as the public 
     comment of the Legislature in opposition to the proposed new 
     5-year National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program on the 
     Outer Continental Shelf; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of 
     the United States, to the Governor of California, to the 
     Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, to 
     the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States 
     House of Representatives, to each Senator and Representative 
     from California in the Congress of the United States, to the 
     Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, to 
     the Director of the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy 
     Management, and to each member of the California State Senate 
     and Assembly.
                                  ____

       POM-188. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine urging the President of the United States 
     and the United States Congress to exclude the State of Maine 
     from offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration 
     activities; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                               H.P. 1279

       Whereas, the United States Department of the Interior, 
     Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 2019-2024 National Outer 
     Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program 
     has already been released and the programmatic environmental 
     impact statement could be released as early as May 2018; and
       Whereas, over 46,319 jobs and more than $2,300,000,000 of 
     the State's gross domestic product depend on clean, oil-free 
     water and beaches and abundant fish and wildlife; and
       Whereas, over 65% of the State's ocean-derived income stems 
     from our tourism and recreation sector, contributing over 
     $1,200,000,000 to the State's economy, and this economic 
     sector benefits from and depends upon a healthy ocean and 
     coast; and
       Whereas, offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration 
     activities place coastal communities at economic and 
     ecological risk from oil spills and the pollution brought by 
     routine drilling operations and onshore industrialization, 
     threatening the quality of life and livelihoods of the 
     State's citizens and important industries, such as tourism 
     and recreation and commercial and recreational fishing, and 
     small businesses that rely on a clean and healthy ocean and 
     beaches; and
       Whereas, the State recognizes that our communities and 
     industries depend on a healthy coastal environment for the 
     benefit of current and future residents, property owners and 
     visitors; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved: That We, your Memorialists, believe that offshore 
     oil and gas drilling and exploration risks our economic and 
     ecological health and therefore oppose any plan or 
     legislation that encourages oil and gas exploration offshore 
     that would negatively affect the citizens of the State; and 
     be it further
       Resolved: That We, your Memorialists, on behalf of the 
     people we represent, take this opportunity to respectfully 
     request that the President of the United States and the 
     United States Congress direct the United States Department of 
     the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to exclude 
     the State and its offshore areas from the 2019-2024 National 
     Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed 
     Program; and be it further
       Resolved: That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United 
     States, to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, to National 
     Oil and Gas Leasing Program Development and Coordination 
     Branch Chief Kelly Hammerle, to the President of the United 
     States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives and to each Member of the Maine Congressional 
     Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-189. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan memorializing their 
     support for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and 
     opposing any reduction in its boundaries; to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                        House Resolution No. 222

       Whereas, The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one 
     of fourteen U.S. marine protected areas and the only one 
     located in the Great Lakes. The 4,300-square-mile sanctuary 
     holds nearly 100 known shipwrecks--covering more than 150 
     years of Great Lakes commerce--remarkably preserved in Lake 
     Huron's cold, fresh waters; and
       Whereas, Jointly managed by the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the state of Michigan, 
     the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary plays an important 
     role in preserving our nation's marine heritage and providing 
     opportunities for future discovery, research, and education. 
     In addition to shipwrecks, the sanctuary encompasses other 
     important cultural and natural features related to maritime 
     heritage including lifesaving stations, lighthouses, historic 
     boats and ships, commercial fishing camps, and working ports. 
     Geological evidence suggests undiscovered prehistoric 
     archaeological sites may also exist; and
       Whereas, The United States Secretary of Commerce is 
     currently conducting a review of all designations and 
     expansions of national marine sanctuaries within the last 10 
     years. Under Executive Order 13795, Implementing an America-
     First Offshore Energy Strategy, the President of the United 
     States directed the review of the budgetary impacts of the 
     costs of managing the sanctuary, the adequacy of 
     consultations with affected state and tribal governments 
     prior to designation, and opportunity costs associated with 
     potential energy and mineral exploration; and
       Whereas, Nearly 3,900 square miles of the Thunder Bay 
     National Marine Sanctuary could be impacted by the federal 
     review. Just 448 square miles when initially designated in 
     2000, the sanctuary was expanded in 2014 to cover 4,300 
     square miles. The expansion increased the number of protected 
     shipwrecks and opened up new opportunities to study shipwreck 
     sites and maritime history in America; and
       Whereas, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary attracts 
     shipwreck divers and tourists and provides an economic boost 
     to charter boat businesses, dive shops, bike rentals, 
     outfitters, and travel and tourism companies. In past years, 
     recreational activity associated with the sanctuary has 
     provided $92 million in annual sales, $35.8 million in 
     personal income to residents of coastal cities located near 
     the sanctuary, and 1,704 jobs. In 2015, over 95,000 people 
     visited the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center which is 
     associated with the sanctuary; and
       Whereas, Energy and mineral exploration is not appropriate 
     within the sanctuary. Michigan has banned offshore drilling 
     of oil in the Great Lakes since 1982. Congress enacted a 
     temporary ban on offshore drilling in the Great Lakes in 2001 
     and made the federal ban permanent in 2005. The oil and gas 
     drilling ban is necessary to protect this unique natural 
     resource that provides drinking water and recreational 
     opportunities and supports food production, business, and 
     transportation for all U.S. citizens; and
       Whereas, Maintaining the current boundaries of the Thunder 
     Bay National Marine Sanctuary supports the rural coastal 
     communities of northeast Michigan as well as protects the 
     health and safety of millions of people who call the Great 
     Lakes Basin home: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, By the House of Representatives, That we support 
     the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and oppose any 
     reduction in its boundaries; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, the members of the 
     Michigan congressional delegation, and the United States 
     Secretary of Commerce.

[[Page S1840]]

  

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