The Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) sent a letter Monday to Congressional leaders urging them to reject proposed legislation that would penalize states hoping to block offshore drilling along their coasts. The legislation, Enhancing State Management of Federal Lands and Waters Act, would impose heavy fees on states claiming jurisdiction over their shorelines as a means to stop offshore drilling from occurring.
According to the draft bill, states that place off limits more than 50 percent of the drilling lease blocks located off their shores would be penalized a fee equal to at least one-tenth the estimated revenue generated by the lease sales and other revenue if drilling were allowed to take place.
The draft bill was proposed in response to the number of states speaking out in opposition to the Trump administration’s plan to open up vast areas of the Atlantic and Pacific U.S. continental shelf to oil and gas exploration. APCC strongly opposed the proposed drilling plan when it was announced early this year.