INTERIOR/OIL/RYAN ZINKE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Several more governors are asking the Trump administration to pare back plans for one of the largest offshore-drilling expansions in history, adding to pressure that has already led officials to exempt Florida from the plan.
The governors of North and South Carolina have requested their own meetings with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke a day after the secretary met with Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott in Tallahassee, then announced Florida would be carved out from the days-old proposal. Governors of New York, Oregon and Delaware have made similar appeals on Twitter while others released statements…
The appeals Tuesday [1-9-18] evening and Wednesday were the latest wave in a backlash from members of both parties since Mr. Zinke announced his plans last Thursday. The resistance could throw into question the most expansive plan for offshore drilling since at least the Reagan administration, opponents and legal experts said. If the Interior Department doesn’t consider other states’ opposition or prove that Florida is different from other coastal states, it could make the plan vulnerable to legal claims that it was arbitrarily put together…
An Interior spokeswoman declined to respond to the latest wave of criticism. She did confirm requests from the North and South Carolina governors and said other governors hadn’t requested a meeting as Gov. Scott did.”
-Timothy Puko, “More States Want Exemptions From Trump’s Offshore Drilling Expansion,” The Wall Street Journal online, Jan. 10, 2018 05:21pm