COMMERCE/ENERGY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In a bid to boost energy development, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is considering shrinking or eliminating 11 marine sanctuaries designed to protect 425 million acres of coral reefs, marine mammal habitats and pristine beaches.
The review is part of a broader strategy to open new areas to oil and gas drilling and ‘put the energy needs of American families and businesses first,’ according to the order Trump signed in April that triggered it.
But interviews with energy industry representatives signal the effort will likely miss its target. Opening up these areas would likely help wind power companies – which Trump has lambasted – more than oil producers, they say. And neither industry is interested because of the high costs of offshore development, comparatively rich opportunities on land and the public relations headaches of developing protected oceanscapes.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. Commerce Department is scheduled to issue its recommendations on the sanctuaries, located in the Pacific, the Great Lakes, and the Atlantic, next month. Most public comments submitted to Commerce favored preserving existing sanctuaries.”
-Valerie Volcovici and Nichola Grroom, “Energy industry says ‘no thanks’ to Trump offer of marine sanctuaries,” Reuters, Sept. 28, 2017 09:38am