Obama Unveils New Offshore Drilling Plan While Calling for Energy-Climate Bill Passage

摘要

President Obama announced plans March 31 to expand offshore oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic coast, to accelerate leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico closer to Florida, and to hold lease sales in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas off northern Alaska after further study.rnHowever, the entire Pacific coast from Washington state to Southern California, where local and state officials oppose drilling, and the rich salmon fishing grounds of Bristol Bay off southwestern Alaska, would remain undisturbed by oil and gas exploration.rnLittle of the planned development would happen immediately. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar described it as the beginning of a lengthy regulatory process that will govern offshore exploration for the next seven years.