"We are loading the dice in favor of another disaster..."
Today, the Trump administration published a proposal (pdf, link) weakening elements of a 2016 rule aimed at increasing offshore drilling safety. The 2016 rule was put in place in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 workers and harmed wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico, including coral reefs, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles and fish.
Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, made this statement:
“The regulation weakened today was aimed specifically at preventing future offshore disasters like the Deepwater Horizon. This troubling action comes on the heels of similar rollbacks to production safety standards earlier this year. When combined with the expansion of offshore drilling, we are loading the dice in favor of another disaster just so the oil industry can save pennies per barrel. There is no reason to take any unnecessary risks with the future of America’s oceans and the wildlife and communities that depend on these waters.”
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