Pallone Blasts Reported Trump Administration Plans to Expand Offshore Drilling

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2017



Washington, D.C. –Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement today after reports that the Trump administration is planning an executive order this week seeking an expansion of drilling off the U.S. coastline.

“While the details about what this order will do are scarce, President Trump has made it very clear how important offshore drilling is to his dangerous and reckless anti-environment agenda that threatens‎ the future of our environment and New Jersey’s coast. An oil spill anywhere along the Atlantic Coast would cause severe environmental damage to fisheries, popular beaches and wildlife – which is why members of both parties have stood up against proposals to expand coastal drilling.”

Rep. Pallone has been a longtime leader in the fight to protect the Atlantic coast, sponsoring legislation to prevent offshore drilling. Pallone wrote to the Secretary of the Interior in 2010 voicing strong opposition to a plan to enable drilling in the Atlantic. He did this even before the Deepwater Horizon disaster brought offshore drilling to the forefront of the news.

Pallone was a leader in the fight to remove a dangerous provision from the Obama Administration’s 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program that would have authorized new offshore oil and gas leasing along the southern Atlantic coast. And in December, after Pallone led a letter signed by 73 of his colleagues urging a permanent ban to coastal drilling along the Artic and Atlantic coasts, President Obama exercised his authority to do just that – permanently banning offshore drilling in deep water canyons from Virginia to New England, including off the New Jersey coast, and in much of the Arctic Ocean.

Pallone Blasts Reported Trump Administration Plans to Expand Offshore Drilling

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2017


Washington, D.C. –Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement today after reports that the Trump administration is planning an executive order seeking an expansion of drilling off the U.S. coastline.

“The Trump administration’s reported plans to expand offshore drilling is just the latest development in its dangerous and reckless anti-environment agenda that threatens the future of our environment and New Jersey’s coast.

“Oil spills don’t respect state borders. The fact remains that opening up the Atlantic Ocean for fossil fuel development is unnecessary, poses a serious threat to our coastal communities, and is the wrong approach. An oil spill anywhere along the Atlantic Coast would cause severe environmental damage to fisheries, popular beaches and wildlife – which is why members of both parties have stood up against proposals to expand coastal drilling.”

Rep. Pallone has been a longtime leader in the fight to protect the Atlantic coast, sponsoring legislation since 2010 to prevent expansions of offshore drilling. Pallone wrote to the Secretary of the Interior in 2010 voicing strong opposition to a plan to enable drilling in the Atlantic. He did this even before the Deepwater Horizon disaster brought offshore drilling to the forefront of the news.

Pallone was a leader in the fight to remove a dangerous provision from the Obama Administration’s 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program that would have authorized new offshore oil and gas leasing along the southern Atlantic coast. And in December, after Pallone led a letter signed by 73 of his colleagues urging a permanent ban to coastal drilling along the Artic and Atlantic coasts, President Obama exercised his authority to do just that – permanently banning offshore drilling in deep water canyons from Virginia to New England, including off the New Jersey coast, and in much of the Arctic Ocean.

Pallone: “Even a historic settlement can’t undo the unprecedented damage of the BP oil spill”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2015


WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement regarding the Department of Justice’s announcement that the United States has reached a historic settlement with BP to resolve the civil lawsuit over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The $20.8 billion settlement is the largest settlement with a single entity in the department’s history. Earlier this year, Pallone and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced bills in the House and Senate, respectively, to ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean.

“Five years after the Deepwater Horizon spill, after families have fought to rebuild their livelihoods and governments have dedicated precious resources towards the clean-up, the money from this settlement is long overdue. While it will help with continued recovery and restoration efforts, the effects of this spill will still be felt for generations. Monetary compensation alone is not enough; we must learn our lesson.

“The spill was the single largest environmental disaster this country has ever seen and it was completely preventable. The technology that the oil industry claims can prevent disaster did not work. Lives were lost and immeasurable damage was done.

“Offshore oil exploration continues to put our environment, and the local economies that rely on it, at risk. Despite the irreparable and detrimental effects of the spill, there are those who stand to profit from expanded drilling under the same conditions and rules that allowed the spill in the first place. We cannot allow these penalties to be the cost of doing business. In order to truly stand by the coastal communities that suffered as a result of dangerous oil drilling, we must shift away from the oil-above-all priorities of this Republican Congress.

“This tragedy must serve as a reminder of the pitfalls of oil dependent energy priorities. We cannot risk more lives or the viability of an entire region just to send more oil abroad.”

Pallone: Shell Withdrawal from Arctic Oil and Gas Exploration Shows Offshore Drilling Should Not be a Part of U.S. Energy Future

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, expressed his support for the decision by Royal Dutch Shell to stop offshore oil and gas exploration in the Arctic.

“The move by Shell to cease exploration for oil in the Arctic is the latest example that offshore oil and gas drilling is a bad investment that should not be a part of our country’s energy future,” said Congressman Pallone. “Five years after the Deepwater Horizon Spill, we’ve witnessed the detrimental and lasting environmental and economic damage that can be done by an oil spill. We are clearly at a point when we must not expand drilling off our coasts.”

Pallone introduced a bill earlier this year with Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) to ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. The Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing any lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or gas in the North, Mid-, or South Atlantic Planning Areas. The Obama Administration earlier this year included areas from Virginia to Georgia in its Draft 2017-2022 Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. As the Deepwater Horizon spill clearly showed, oil spills do not respect state borders, and the proposed drilling would be a direct threat to New Jersey’s coastal communities and industries.

He has also consistently combatted efforts for seismic testing for oil and gas off in the Atlantic Ocean. Most recently, he and Senator Menendez sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in opposition to proposed oil and gas geophysical survey activity, including seismic testing, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Menendez and Pallone Announce Legislation to Ban Offshore Drilling in the Atlantic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2015


LONG BRANCH, NJ – Today, on the five-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Congressman Frank Pallone (D NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced they will introduce a bill to ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean.

"Imagine the devastation an oil spill in the Atlantic would cause – not just to our home state of New Jersey, but to states up and down the East Coast,” said Sen. Menendez. “I am looking forward to re-introducing this Senate bill to ban Atlantic offshore drilling in an effort to not only protect the Garden State’s economy, but to guarantee a healthier and happier future for all East Coast citizens. We cannot stand by and allow our coastline and our marine life to be endangered in order to inflate Big Oil’s already inflated profits.”

“We don’t need the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster to know that offshore drilling in the Atlantic should be completely off the table,” said Congressman Pallone. “However, it does remind us of the detrimental and lasting environmental and economic damage that can be done by an oil spill, and that the technology does not exist to safely drill for oil offshore. Now, with the Administration’s dangerous proposal to permit drilling off the Atlantic Coast, we must step up our efforts to protect the Jersey Shore’s environmental and economic health.”

The Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing any lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or gas in the North, Mid-, or South Atlantic Planning Areas. There are planned introductions this week in the House by Pallone with thirteen co-sponsors and in the Senate by Menendez with seven co-sponsors.

The Obama Administration earlier this year included areas from Virginia to Georgia in its Draft 2017-2022 Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. As the Deepwater Horizon spill clearly showed, oil spills do not respect state borders, and the proposed drilling would be a direct threat to New Jersey’s coastal communities and industries. The Jersey Shore’s tourism industry generates $38 billion a year and directly supports almost half a million jobs – nearly ten percent of New Jersey’s entire workforce. New Jersey’s commercial fishing industry alone generates over $7.9 billion annually and supports over 50,000 jobs, while the state also has one of the largest saltwater recreational fishing industries in the nation.

Congressman Pallone discussed the legislation today in Long Branch, NJ at a press conference to commemorate the anniversary of the spill and to oppose the new proposal to open the Atlantic to drilling. He was joined by Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, and representatives from Clean Ocean Action and Waterspirit.

Pallone, Menendez, Booker Decry Administration’s Plan to Open Atlantic Ocean to Oil Drilling

NJ Lawmakers Stress Catastrophic Environmental and Economic Consequences of an Oil Spill near the Jersey Shore

WASHINGTON, DC –  U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-NJ) and Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06) released the following joint statement decrying the Department of the Interior’s inclusion of the Atlantic Ocean in its Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program (Five Year Program) for 2017-2022. The draft proposed Five Year Program, which was announced today, allows for oil and gas exploration in a portion of the Mid- and South Atlantic planning areas, encompassing areas offshore of Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia:

“It is unthinkable that the Administration would open parts of the Atlantic Ocean, a fragile and priceless ecosystem that is home to such a unique array of marine life, to oil and gas drilling and potential damage from pollution and oil spills. An oil spill in the Atlantic Ocean would not occur in isolation. A spill anywhere along the Atlantic coast would cause severe environmental damage to beaches, fisheries, and marine life throughout the Eastern Seaboard, while also seriously threatening the ocean-based economies that rely on them. Opening up the Atlantic coast to drill for fossil fuel is unnecessary, poses a serious threat to coastal communities throughout the region, and is the wrong approach to energy development in this country.

“The economic consequences of an oil spill near the New Jersey coastline would be catastrophic. Our beaches are a tremendous resource for all those who come here to enjoy them, and they are a huge economic engine for our state. They are the primary driver of a tourism economy that supports 312,000 jobs in New Jersey and generate $38 billion in economic activities for the state each year. An oil spill near our coast could cause real damage to the state's economy, including the loss of jobs.

“In addition to serious economic concerns, offshore oil drilling threatens permanent and devastating degradation to our environment and natural resources. The Jersey Shore is a priceless natural treasure, providing recreation to generations of families and supporting a thriving ecosystem of marine mammals and sea life that must be protected. As our state continues to rebuild and recover from the unprecedented devastation of Superstorm Sandy, we simply cannot afford a manmade disaster from oil and gas drilling off our coast.

“We learned hard lessons in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy—offshore drilling poses a substantial risk of economic and environmental devastation for our shoreline communities. This latest plan, however, ignores that reality. We should focus our energy policy on expanding renewable production here at home, rather than jeopardizing the environment or our regional economy for the sake of more polluting fossil fuels.

“The Administration attempted to include oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean in its last Five Year Plan. Ultimately, however, it was removed due to the ecological and economic resources that would be jeopardized by offshore oil and gas activities. It was a bad idea then and is still a bad idea now. We urge President Obama to remove the Atlantic Coast from this plan to ensure that our pristine natural resources are preserved and protected for generations to come.”

Pallone Highlights Potential Dangers of Proposed LNG Project Off of the New Jersey Coast

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, submitted a statement expressing his opposition to the proposed plan to build an offshore liquefied natural gas port 24 miles off the coast of Long Branch, New Jersey. In his statement, which was submitted at a public hearing held on the issue, Pallone highlighted the potential dangers that the proposed Liberty Natural Gas (LNG) Port Ambrose terminal poses to New Jersey's ocean and coastline, which work as crucial economic engines for the state.

“With the Jersey Shore still recovering from Superstorm Sandy, we cannot risk another blow to our coast from a liquefied natural gas spill,” said Congressman Pallone. “This past summer, New Jersey had a strong beach season, with local residents and tourists alike showing their Jersey pride by patronizing local businesses and enjoying our replenished beaches. Just imagine what a blow it would be to that recovery if a spill were to occur.”

Congressman Pallone, who has fought against offshore oil and gas drilling throughout his career and worked successfully to end ocean dumping, urged concerned citizens at the public hearing to continue to stand up against the industrialization of the Jersey Shore.

“Instead of focusing on industrial uses of the ocean, our country and the State of New Jersey should be encouraging the use of renewable energy resources,” added Pallone. “Any energy development in the Atlantic should be from renewable sources, such as wind power, and not polluting fossil fuels.”

Tonight’s hearing was a part of the public comment period on the issue, which has been extended by 30 days, until March 16th, in order to give residents more time to voice their concerns regarding the proposed terminal. In 2011, Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) vetoed a similar plan for an LNG terminal to be built off of the New Jersey coast.

The full text of Congressman Pallone’s statement is below:

Statement of Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.

Port Ambrose LNG Public Hearing

January 8, 2015

I apologize I could not be there in person with all of you this evening, but I am in Washington, DC because Congress is in session this week. I join with those of you who are here in opposition tonight to stand up against the industrialization of the Jersey Shore.

Liberty Natural Gas is back with the same old plan to put an industrial gas terminal off our coast – a plan that is strikingly similar to the one vetoed by Governor Christie in 2011. I am opposed to the proposed Liberty Natural Gas offshore liquefied natural gas project planned for 24 miles off the coast of Long Branch.

I’m pleased that the public comment period has been extended by 30 days, to March 16. During that time, I encourage everyone to have their voice heard on this project.

Throughout my tenure as an elected official, I have opposed industrial uses of the ocean. I have fought against offshore oil and gas drilling, as well as worked successfully to end ocean dumping. Instead of focusing on industrial uses of the ocean, our country and the State of New Jersey should be encouraging the use of renewable energy resources.

Any energy development in the Atlantic should be from renewable sources, such as wind power, and not polluting fossil fuels. The Obama Administration is prioritizing offshore wind energy development in areas off the Atlantic coast, including New Jersey.

Wind power is exactly the type of clean energy America should be investing in—the type that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and gas and create jobs. This project may create an unknown number of temporary jobs during the construction phase, but we must also think of the jobs that would be lost if a LNG spill occurred off our coast.

The Jersey Shore is the primary driver of a tourism economy that sustains nearly 500,000 jobs and generates approximately $50 billion in economic activity for the state each year. In the late 1980s when beaches were closed due to contaminated material washing ashore, many jobs were lost in the local tourism industry.

When the Deepwater Horizon spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, local economies felt it the hardest when tourism fell off drastically and commercial fishermen were barred from fishing in large swaths of the gulf. We cannot allow this to happen off our coast.

With the Jersey Shore still recovering from Superstorm Sandy, we cannot risk another blow to our coast from a liquefied natural gas spill. This past summer New Jersey had a strong beach season, with locals and tourists alike showing their Jersey pride by patronizing local businesses and enjoying our replenished beaches. Just imagine what a blow it would be to that recovery if a spill were to occur.

Frankly, I am surprised that this proposed project is moving forward given Governor Christie’s public opposition to LNG facilities off the coast of New Jersey and his previous veto of a similar project in 2011. Under the Deepwater Port Act, Governor Christie, as the governor of an adjacent coastal state, has the absolute power to veto the Liberty Natural Gas project.

New Jersey should be taking a national lead on promoting a forward-looking energy policy that moves towards increased use of renewable energy sources that create jobs here at home, and away from importing or exporting polluting fossil fuels from other countries.

I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to incentivize these types of clean energy sources. Thank you.

Pallone, Menendez, Booker Call on Obama Admin to Protect the Jersey Shore from Offshore Drilling

July 2nd, 2014

ASBURY PARK, NJ – U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-NJ) and Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06) today sent a letter to President Obama urging his administration to keep the Atlantic Coast off limits for oil and gas exploration, stressing that the environmental and economic consequences of an oil spill near the Jersey Shore would be catastrophic.

“As we learned all too clearly in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, offshore drilling poses a substantial risk of economic and environmental devastation for our shoreline communities,” the Senators and Congressman wrote. “Even today, more than four years after the BP oil spill, 60 percent of the 210 million gallons that spilled are unaccounted for, and oil-soaked sand and tar balls continue to wash up on the beaches of the Gulf.”

The strength of New Jersey’s economy and workforce depends strongly on having a thriving Jersey Shore, which continues to rebound from devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy. In 2011, the federal lawmakers noted that New Jersey’s tourism industry generated $38 billion, $4.4 billion in state and local taxes and $4.8 billion in federal taxes. The industry directly supports 312,000 jobs in New Jersey and 486,000 jobs including indirect and induced impacts—a total of 9.8% of the state’s workforce. The state’s commercial and recreational fishing industries, which employ tens of thousands, would be decimated in the event of a spill.

The Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) announced last month the first steps in the development of the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program, calling for a Request for Information and a 45-day public comment period.

“As we get ready for the July 4th weekend with everyone headed to our beaches, BOEM is looking to develop their next plan, which could include drilling off our coast and the mid-Atlantic,” said N.J. Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel. “The last thing New Jersey needs after Hurricane Sandy recovery is an oil spill. The only oil we want on our beaches is suntan oil. Instead BOEM should be coming out with leases for windmills off our coast. The fossil fools in Washington keep trying to target our coast for big oil and gas companies. We cannot trust Big Oil with our energy future. We cannot drill ourselves into energy independence.”

As thousands descend on the Jersey Shore for the July 4th holiday weekend, Menendez and Pallone were joined at a news conference on the Asbury Park boardwalk by Mayor Myra Campbell, Tittel and local business owners at a news conference on the Asbury Park boardwalk.

“The Jersey Shore is a priceless natural treasure, providing recreation to generations of families and supporting a thriving ecosystem of marine mammals and sea life,” wrote Menendez, Booker and Pallone. “We owe it to future generations to ensure that our pristine natural resources are preserved and protected from the polluting fossil fuel industry.”

Click here to download a copy of the letter.
The full text of the letter to President Obama follows:
July 2, 2014

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Last week, the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) announced the first steps in the development of the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program, calling for a Request for Information and a 45-day public comment period. As your Administration begins work on this plan, we write to strongly oppose any efforts to expand offshore oil and gas drilling, particularly any such efforts that would threaten New Jersey’s vibrant coastal communities.

As we learned all too clearly in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, offshore drilling poses a substantial risk of economic and environmental devastation for our shoreline communities. Even today, more than four years after the BP oil spill, 60 percent of the 210 million gallons that spilled are unaccounted for, and oil-soaked sand and tar balls continue to wash up on the beaches of the Gulf. This is not an isolated example—20 years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska, 21,000 gallons of crude lingered in the areas where the spill occurred, and species including herring and pigeon guillemots are still not yet recovered. In the event of an oil spill that hit New Jersey’s coast, the damage would be both enormously costly and likely permanent.

In addition to the long-term impacts of these spills, they also have the ability to damage a broad geographic area. They do not respect state boundaries, and drilling anywhere along the Atlantic Coast poses a significant risk for all eastern seaboard states. As the coastal economies of four states were damaged by the BP oil spill, it is likely that any oil spill in the Atlantic would threaten states up and down the coast.

The economic consequences of an oil spill near the New Jersey coastline would be catastrophic. In 2011, New Jersey’s tourism industry generated $38 billion, and $4.4 billion in state and local taxes and $4.8 billion in federal taxes. The industry directly supports 312,000 jobs in New Jersey and 486,000 jobs including indirect and induced impacts—a total of 9.8% of the state’s workforce. Also critical to the state’s economic health is our fishing industry. In 2011, New Jersey’s seafood industry supported 43,000 jobs, and the state has one of the largest saltwater recreational fishing industries in the nation. The strength of New Jersey’s workforce depends strongly on having a thriving coastal economy.

In addition to the economic concerns, offshore oil drilling threatens permanent and devastating degradation to our environment and natural resources. The Jersey Shore is a priceless natural treasure, providing recreation to generations of families and supporting a thriving ecosystem of marine mammals and sea life. New Jersey’s 130 miles of coastline house a diverse array of marine life, and provide critical habitat to several federally endangered and threatened species of fish, birds and turtles. We owe it to future generations to ensure that our pristine natural resources are preserved and protected from the polluting fossil fuel industry.

Following the unprecedented devastation of Hurricane Sandy, we are still working every day to rebuild our homes, our businesses, and our way of life. It is critical that we focus on long-term efforts to improve resiliency and to limit the carbon pollution that can drive extreme and unpredictable weather. Recovering from a natural disaster of this magnitude is challenging, and New Jersey is committed to rebuilding and coming back stronger than ever. Yet, allowing for offshore oil and gas drilling poses the threat of a manmade disaster that our communities and environment cannot afford.

New Jersey’s coast has faced manmade disaster before. When medical waste washed up on our beaches in 1988, New Jersey saw a 22% decline in tourism and estimated lost revenues of over $1 billion . This type of environmental contamination is significantly easier to clean up and remediate than an oil spill, and we fear that any spill would be even more catastrophic for our environment and vital industries.

With the major oil companies continuing to rake in sky-high profits on the backs of consumers, supported by costly subsidies from the American taxpayer, there is simply no need to take further steps to line their pockets. While increasing offshore oil and gas drilling is a clear victory for Big Oil, it’s a losing proposition for New Jersey’s economy, our environment, and our way of life.

We are not opposed to harnessing energy from the Atlantic OCS; however, energy development off the Atlantic coast should be focused on expanding renewable energy production, particularly offshore wind. Last month your Administration announced a significant federal grant for Fishermen’s Energy, a proposed wind farm off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and we applaud that commitment. These are the type of investments that the federal government should be making as our country works to reduce our carbon output and transition to a cleaner energy economy.

As your administration begins preparation of the 2017-2022 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, we request that you take full accounting of these costs. We believe strongly that the potential for significant and lasting hardship to New Jersey’s workforce, our coastal resources, and our communities far outweighs any benefits that the already-profitable oil companies would receive with expanded drilling opportunities. Given these concerns, we oppose the inclusion of any and all of the Atlantic planning areas in the draft plan.

Thank you for your consideration of this vital request, and we look forward to working closely with you and your Administration to chart a clean and bright energy future for the nation.

Sincerely,

Why Should Big Oil Get a Bailout?

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

If you or I were to walk into a neighbor's yard and douse their grass with motor oil, a court would hold us personally liable for the full cleanup costs.  But under current law, Big Oil companies receive special legal immunity when their offshore oil spills cause economic and environmental havoc. 

Oil companies cannot be held legally liable for costs in excess of $75 million – a tiny fraction of the potential damage from a major oil spill.  To put that amount in perspective, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 is expected to cost more than $40 billion as damages continue to mount to our coastal environment and economy.

Last week, the Obama Administration proposed a new rule increasing the current liability cap to $134 million, the maximum increase that may be implemented without legislation.

Together with Sen. Menendez, I have introduced legislation, the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act, which would abolish the liability cap for offshore oil spills, and I am continuing to work to block any and all offshore drilling off the Atlantic coast.  Nearly four years have already passed since the BP disaster.  Should Congress wait longer?

Announcing the First App Contest for Students

Do you know a Central New Jersey high school student who designs apps for the Mac, Windows, or Android platform – or has always wanted to learn to do so?  I am pleased to announce the first-ever U.S. House of Representatives App Contest.  I invite applications from Central New Jersey.

The Central New Jersey App Contest is open to all high school students in the 12th District. Students entering the competition must submit their app’s source code online by 11:59 PM EDT on April 30, 2014, and must provide a YouTube or VIMEO video demonstrating their app and describing what they learned through this competition process.  The app should help improve communication between citizens and government agencies or elected officials.  Further details, including how to register and how submissions will be judged, are availableon my website.

Understanding Your Social Security Benefits

Even as we shore up Social Security for generations ahead, the Social Security Administration is working to make your Social Security benefits as accessible as possible today.

Did you know that many day-to-day transactions with the Social Security Administration can be completed online?  You can apply online for retirement benefits, survivor's benefits, orMedicare.   If you aren’t yet ready to apply for benefits, you can estimate your retirement benefits or create a My Social Security account to view your earnings history online.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Pallone Fights Back Against Efforts to Expand Seismic Testing and Offshore Drilling Into Atlantic Ocean

Interior Department Official Reports that Environmental Report on Seismic Testing in the Atlantic Will Be Finalized Without Complete Marine Mammal Impact Guidelines

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) continued his push against oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic at a hearing in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

At the hearing Pallone questioned Deputy Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Walter Cruickshank and expressed his concern regarding the inevitable environmental and economic costs of expanding oil and gas exploration into the Atlantic Ocean.

Pallone continued his opposition to seismic testing in the Atlantic and requested that BOEM not finalize its Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) before the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration completes guidelines on the impact of sound on marine life, such as endangered whales. Deputy Director Cruickshank responded negatively and said that the Bureau intends to move forward with finalizing their PEIS without waiting for this important new scientific guidance.

Pallone also focused on the cost that drilling would have on jobs in New Jersey. “In New Jersey, the tourism sector, which is anchored to our clean beaches and ocean, generated $34.7 billion in 2012 alone—that is 7.0 percent of the entire state economy,” said Pallone. “Tourism sustained more than 500,000 jobs or 10 percent of total employment in the state. Commercial fishing supports more than 43,000 jobs and recreational fishing supports almost another 10,000 jobs. What assurances can you offer me and my constituents that oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic will not put these jobs and my state’s economy at risk?”

The Deputy Director stated that the Department of Interior has made no decisions about whether to move forward with drilling in the Atlantic. He conceded that implementing the recommendations of the National Commission on the B. P. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling by Congress would improve drilling safety. However, Pallone noted that House Republican leadership has refused to implement the Commission’s recommendations

Pallone also questioned Dr. Donald Boesch, a member of the Commission, about their recommendation that Congress give NOAA a formal consultative role during Interior’s development of offshore drilling plans. Dr. Boesch agreed that NOAA should be involved as the agency responsible for monitoring and researching marine mammals. Pallone called on Congress to enact this reform.

Watson Goes to Medical School

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:



The last time I crossed paths with IBM’s Watson, we faced off in a round of Jeopardy!. Since then, Watson has grown up and gone to medical school: The computer system is now working with doctors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, learning how to suggest treatment options for lung cancer.

IBM scientists stopped by my office this week to demonstrate Watson’s new skills. They hope that, within just a few years, Watson will be deployed to doctors’ offices around the country.

What sets Watson apart from most computer systems is that it doesn’t simply look up facts in a massive database. Rather, it learns. Much as Watson once learned Jeopardy!-style trivia by analyzing millions of books and websites, it is now learning medicine by reading thousands of journal articles, monitoring patients, and listening to the input of patients and doctors.

These are the kind of breakthrough technological developments that are hard to predict in advance but which almost inevitably result from private and public investments in R&D. Such discoveries will help drive economic growth and job creation for years to come.


Big Oil Doesn’t Need Our Bailouts

If you or I were to walk into a neighbor's yard and douse their grass with motor oil, a court would hold us personally liable for the full cleanup costs. But that’s not the way America’s legal system works for Big Oil. Under current law, Big Oil’s liability for offshore oil spills is capped at just $75 million.

This figure is absurdly low. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill is estimated to have caused at least $42 billion in damages – more than 500 times the current liability cap! In New Jersey, our fishing and tourism industries, which could be devastated by an offshore spill, are responsible for $12 billion in economic output and more than 200,000 jobs. And let’s be clear: Big Oil doesn’t need taxpayer bailouts to support their drilling. In the first quarter of this year alone, the five largest oil companies reported more than $30 billion in profits.

Together with Sen. Bob Menendez, I recently reintroduced the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act, which would abolish the offshore oil spill liability cap once and for all. Big Oil should play by the same rules as everyone else.

Teacher Appreciation Week

This is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to recognize all of the educators in New Jersey’s schools, from our kindergarten classrooms to our college campuses.

As a former educator, I know a teacher’s work isn’t easy – especially at a time when Gov. Christie and some Tea Party lawmakers in Washington keep cutting support for education. But the job of educating the next generation is vital, and teachers’ efforts are deeply appreciated.

I hope you’ll take a moment this week to thank a teacher who made a difference in your life. If you are a teacher yourself, you may be considering ways to continue your professional development in the summer months. I encourage you to consider the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ Teacher Institute, which is available tuition-free. Offerings include a seminar on the connections between environmental sustainability, literature and history, and another on civic engagement for youth. The application deadline is May 22.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Pallone Urges Interior Department to Halt Plans to Move Forward with Offshore Oil Drilling Testing Plan

For Immediate Release:
May 9th, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Wednesday, May 09, 2012, at a hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) questioned the Department of Interior’s Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Tommy Beaudreau about the Administration’s decision to allow new seismic testing for oil exploration off the Atlantic coast.

Congressman Pallone voiced his opposition to the Administration’s decision to begin seismic testing, a first step toward a plan to drill off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean for oil. The Department of Interior announced in March that it would begin the process.

“I am totally opposed to offshore drilling off the Atlantic Coast. My opposition includes any preparatory steps including seismic testing in our waters off the Atlantic Coast,” Congressman Pallone said in his opening statement. “The time and resources that the Department of Interior is allocating to seismic testing could be better used on higher priorities that will allow us to move away from dirty fuels and faster achieve U.S. energy independence through renewable sources such as wind and solar power.”

Citing the importance and environmental sensitivity of New Jersey’s coastline, which generates $38 billion per year in economic activity and supports nearly 500,000 jobs, Pallone urged the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to consider renewable alternatives and to head the lessons leaned from Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Additionally, Pallone asked Beaudreau for more information about the cost of seismic testing and urged the Bureau to allow more time for a public review comment period to let New Jersey residents have their opinions considered as the process moves forward.

“The Department of Interior must halt this process and reconsider its priorities in ensuring American energy independence,” said Pallone. “Recently, the Department of Interior held a public listening session in Atlantic City, NJ on the process leading to seismic testing. Local environmental organizations, fishermen, divers and people from all backgrounds were there to oppose this decision; I call on the Department to earnestly listen to their concerns and opposition.”

Congressman Pallone Statement to Interior Department Opposing Testing for Atlantic Offshore Drilling

For Immediate Release:

April 27, 2012

Atlantic City, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone submitted the following statement for the Department of Interior Public Hearing in Atlantic City, NJ on Programmatic Environmental Impact Study on Seismic Testing in the Atlantic Ocean:

Thank you for having this having this public hearing.  I am in Washington, DC voting today and therefore could not appear personally.  I am glad that the public has this opportunity to inform and shape how the Department of Interior proceeds on the important issue of offshore drilling. 

I am totally opposed to offshore drilling off the Atlantic Coast.  My opposition includes any preparatory steps including seismic testing in our waters off the AtlanticCoast.  The time and resources that the Department of Interior is allocating to seismic testing could be better used on higher priorities that will allow us to move away from dirty fuels and faster achieve U.S. energy independence through renewables such as wind and solar power. 

We all know how important New Jersey's beaches are, not only to residents of our state, but also for countless visitors.  Our beaches are a tremendous resource for those who come here to enjoy them, and they are a huge economic engine for our state.  They're the primary driver of a tourism economy that supports nearly 500,000 jobs and generates $38 billion in economic activities for the state each year.

Seismic testing is the first step in the direction of opening up the Atlantic coast to oil drilling.  Most drilling off the Atlantic coast would be deepwater drilling just like Deepwater Horizon.  Yet in the two years since the BP spill none of the proposals recommended by the National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling have been put in place.  There have been no improvements in worker safety regulations that will help ensure that another blow out will not cost 11 human lives.  We need increased environmental review and planning that will ensure valuable fishing grounds and other ecological assets are not destroyed in the event of an oil leak. 

The Department of Interior must halt this process and reconsider its priorities in ensuring American energy independence.  The process you are embarking on will have severe consequences on our ocean environment, beaches, marine resources, and coastal economies in the short term and long term.  Thank you for listening to my comments and I encourage you to fully consider the public’s input here today. 

Oil Spill Amnesia

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's Newsletter:

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. On April 20, 2010, the oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers. The platform soon collapsed beneath the water’s surface, but over the course of the following 87 days, more than four million barrels of oil spewed from the blown-out Macondo well, coating nearly 1,000 miles of Gulf coastline and temporarily closing more than 88,000 square miles of some of the nation’s most productive fishing grounds.

The Deepwater Horizon tragedy was a wake-up call, but some of my colleagues seem to have missed the sound of the alarm. In the two years since the disaster, I have offered bills to implement the safety recommendations of the National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. I also have introduced the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act to make sure that oil companies pay the full cost of damages resulting from future oil spills. Unfortunately, the Republican majority has refused to allow these much-needed reforms to be considered by the House of Representatives.

We owe the families of those killed two years ago a serious examination of the lessons learned in order to ensure that the ongoing drilling in the Gulf is as safe as possible. We owe the families and workers who depend on the coastal resources of New Jersey and elsewhere a promise that a similar accident will never take place off of their shores.

Free Student Aid Workshop on Monday, April 30
Do you have concerns about affording higher education? On Monday, April 30, at 7 p.m., I will be organizing a free Student Aid Workshop for high school students and their parents in conjunction with the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority and Rutgers University. The workshop will be held at the South Brunswick Public Library, 110 Kingston Lane in Monmouth Junction.

Experts will be on hand to offer information on financial aid opportunities at the federal, state, and campus levels, including Pell Grants, Perkins Loans, and scholarship programs offered by the State of New Jersey. They will also be glad to answer your questions and provide information about your own financial aid situation.
For more information, please contact Andrew Black of my staff at (609) 750-9365 or andrew.black@mail.house.gov.

Celebrate National Park Week: Visit Any National Park for Free
Wallace Stegner, the famed Western writer and historian, once said that national parks are “the best idea we’ve ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." And next week, you’ll have the opportunity to visit any of America’s 397 national parks – and any of the hundreds of battlefields, historic places, and other associated sites managed by the National Park Service – without paying any entrance fee.

National Park Week 2012 runs from this Saturday, April 21, through Sunday, April 29. It presents a great opportunity to visit any of New Jersey’s national parks, including America’s newest national park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. Many other parks are within easy driving distance.

To learn more about National Park Week and to plan your trip, visit NationalParkWeek.org.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Groups offer prayer for the environment in the wake of BP calamity

A friend sent me the following post from the NEW YORK THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY blog. It's about a group of people that gathered on the beach to pray that Northwest Florida be spared from the oil spill lurking in the Gulf of Mexico.

I thought it relevent and worthwhile to post considering that while BP has started to recover some of the oil being released by it's deep water well, it hasn't contained it all. More and more oil each minute is being spilled into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and see that man has not been able to stop it fully as yet maybe a little bit of divine intervention is not such a bad thing to pray for.



"Well before some other groups began praying for the environmental catastrophe surrounding the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, there was this group (which posted its video on May 8th).

Since then, groups around the country have joined together to offer prayer for an the end to that oil leak, and for relief to the communities, residents and wildlife that call the Gulf of Mexico home."

VoteVets Ad Tying Gulf Oil Spill To National Security

If you haven't seen it yet, below is the latest T.V spot that is running during many of the cable network news programs. The ad is from the organization Votevets.org and features a national guardsman who has been deployed to the Louisiana Gulf coast region to help clean up the BP Deep Horizon oil spill that is washing up on the beaches and impacting the environment.

The Guardsman asks if now is not the time to invest in our energy future with new, clean technologies, when will be the right time?

Check it out!

"For weeks now, we've watched oil gush into the Gulf of Mexico. But, did you know that over 11,000 National Guardsmen have been sent to clean it up? 11,000 men and women that signed up to protect America, not clean up an oil company's mess. Well, we've got a $1.5 million ad campaign making that point, and making clear that only by clean energy reform can we get off this addiction to oil that has us drilling so much, and so close to the shoreline.

The new ad features a veteran of the Louisiana National Guard, who served in the clean up effort. In the ad, he says, "When I signed on with the National Guard, I did it to help protect America from our enemies... Not to clean up an oil company's mess here in the Gulf of Mexico... But America needs a new mission. Because whether it's deep-drilling oil out here, or spending a billion dollars a day on oil from our enemies overseas, our dependence on oil is threatening our national security."

By passing a clean energy plan, we can cut our foreign oil dependence in half, invest billions in new energy technologies, and set up new rules that govern off-shore drilling. That's a fight worth taking on."

President Obama's Weekly Adress: 6/5/10 Speaking from Louisiana on the Oil Spill

Speaking from Grand Isle, Louisiana, the President discusses the hardships local residents and small business owners are facing as a result of the BP oil spill. He pledges to make sure those responsible do not shortchange them.

Learn more about the ongoing Administration-wide response.

President Obama's Weekly Address: 5/22/10 BP Spill Independent Commission

The President announces that the independent commission he created for the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling will be chaired by former Florida Governor and Senator Bob Graham and former EPA Administrator Bill Reilly. He promises accountability not just for BP, but for those in government who bore responsibility.




Learn more about the government response >>> Here
Learn more about the commission >>> Here