Washington Watch: Trump Revokes Ocean Protection Policy
In a new executive order issued Wednesday, President Donald Trump revoked the federal ocean protection policy instituted by President Barack Obama after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.
The Obama executive order cited the damages created by that disaster, and detailed the first comprehensive national ocean policy. It directed federal agencies to work with state and local governments to prevent such problems, by cooperatively managing their coastal waters. The Trump executive order makes no mention of the Deepwater Horizon disaster or the risks of drilling, and emphasizes the development of “domestic energy production from federal waters.”
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) expert analyst Alison Chase called the Trump order an “irresponsible move” which no longer requires federal agencies to work with states for the protection of ocean resources.
