WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to the Department of the Interior’s announcement to remove the Mid and South Atlantic planning areas of the Outer Continental Shelf from oil and gas leasing through 2017:
“I applaud Secretary Salazar’s decision to take oil drilling along Delaware’s coast off the table,” said Sen. Coons. “As I have said throughout this year, an oil spill would wreak havoc on Delaware’s pristine beaches and cripple our fishing industry. We must invest in cleaner alternatives and I will continue to support Delaware’s clean energy industries. ”
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