Interior Secretary Now Says ‘No One Was Exempted’ From Offshore Drilling Plan

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Friday walked back previous statements about the Trump administration’s offshore drilling plans, indicating Florida’s coastal waters are in fact still on the table. “No one was exempted,” he said, according to The Associated Press. The comment came at an offshore wind energy forum in Plainsboro, New Jersey, where Zinke spoke about American’s energy potential and the Trump administration’s all-of-the-above approach to powering America. In January, the Trump administration released a sweeping plan to boost America’s fossil fuel production that would open nearly all U.S. waters, including huge swaths of the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, to oil exploration. Less than a week later, just two days into a 60-day public comment period, Zinke traveled to Florida, where he announced that, at the recommendation of Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), he was withdrawing the state’s coastal waters from the areas that could be leased. “I support the governor’s position that Florida is unique and its coasts are heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver,” Zinke said at the time....MORE