Senator Chris Brown (R-2) is sponsoring bipartisan legislation to fight the federal plan to allow offshore drilling for oil and natural gas along the Atlantic Coast.
“Protecting our environment and our way of life is not a Republican or Democrat issue,” Senator Brown said. “All of our Atlantic County families, retirees, and our local economy depend on us protecting our beaches and waterways.”
“It simply makes sense to preserve our $44 billion tourism economy and our commercial and recreational fisheries for our children and grandchildren,” Brown said.
Focused on combating offshore drilling, the legislation that Brown is sponsoring, SR-29 and S-258, would prohibit offshore drilling in State waters and oppose the expansion of oil and natural gas drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf.
The legislation, SR-29, passed the full State Senate.
In addition to his efforts on the legislative front, Brown has launched an online petition to provide a forum for New Jersey residents who will be impacted by the effects of offshore drilling to voice their concerns.
“We need to make sure New Jersey is a place we can afford to work, raise a family, and retire someday,” said Brown. “Offshore drilling would put those goals and thousands of Atlantic County jobs at risk.”
Brown’s petition to Stop Offshore Drilling can be signed at: http://www.senatenj.com/nodrilling/
“I’m asking concerned families to please take a minute to sign and share my online petition,’ Brown said. “Together, we can send a message to the federal government that we don’t want drilling rigs in our waters.”
In January, The United States Department of the Interior allowed access to 90 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf available for oil and natural and gas drilling, including along the New Jersey coastline. Presently, 94 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is off limits to offshore drilling.