Gov. Nikki Haley is under increasing pressure to come out against drilling or testing for oil and natural gas off the South Carolina coast.
“There is one person who can save the jobs on our coast,” said Conservation Voters of South Carolina Outreach Coordinator Sophie Halpin in an advocacy email. “Governor Haley can ask Washington to remove South Carolina from consideration for drilling. She can say that our pristine beaches and tourism jobs matter more than profits for Big Oil.”
On Wednesday, more than 400 businesses, most of which are located along the coast, offered a letter at a Statehouse press conference in opposition of oil and gas drilling and seismic testing off the coast. Other opponents include GOP U.S. Reps. Mark Sanford and Tom Rice, both of whom represent coastal counties, and more than 20 municipalities.
Haley, who has indicated support for drilling in the past, “believes offshore exploration should be done in a way that doesn’t compromise the environment, ports or tourism industry, but stressed that it was critical to the state’s economic development,” a spokesman said earlier this week.
The DontDrillSC.com website ratcheted up the anti-drilling effort with a petition asking the governor to stand up for the coast.
Stay tuned as this one heats up.
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