Offshore staff
RALEIGH, North Carolina –North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, chairman of the OCS Governors Coalition, applauded the US Interior Department for its oil and gas leasing program that could include opportunities in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina.
“Responsible exploration and development of oil and gas reserves off our coast would create thousands of good paying jobs, spur activity in a host of associated industries, generate billions of dollars in tax revenue and move America closer to energy independence,” he said.
Governor McCrory expressed concern that the 50-mi (80-km) coastal buffer in the mid- and south Atlantic lease sale at this stage unnecessarily limits the opportunity for further examination of the resource potential and identification of environmentally sensitive areas.
The OCS Governors Coalition is advocating for the expansion of revenue sharing to all coastal states with oil and gas production off their shores to compensate local communities for additional infrastructure, environmental protection, and other coastal management needs generated by any new economic activity.
Coalition members are Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Virginia in addition to North Carolina.
01/30/2015
