Industry Eyes Offshore Leasing Expansion as Opposition Builds

摘要

The US oil industry is stressing the need for a more expansive approach to federal offshore leasing that considers territory in the Atlantic, Pacific, Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Arctic. But the US Department of the Interior’s (DOI) plan to rewrite current leasing parameters is drawing fierce opposition from coastal state officials, lawmakers and environmentalists who fear risks to tourism, fishing and other industries in the event of a major spill or accident.