Tuberville, Britt fighting to prevent shutdown of gulf energy development

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October 2, 2023

A coalition of environmental groups filed a petition with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish year-round vessel speed restriction zones and other mitigation measures in the northern Gulf of Mexico to protect Rice’s whales — a whale that was only recognized by NOAA as a distinct species two years ago.

NOAA also proposed a rule to establish critical habitat for the whales where they acknowledged critical oil and gas and military activity occurs.

Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt have signed onto legislation that protects Gulf Coast residents and businesses from what both Senators describe as a “leftwing agenda.”

The Warding Off Hostile Administrative Lease Efforts (WHALE) Act would prevent the U.S. Departments of Commerce and the Interior from issuing maritime rules related to the Rice’s whale that would impede offshore energy development and military activities.

“We all want to protect wildlife and promote conservation efforts, but the Biden administration’s approach lacks transparency, scientific evidence, and excludes the voices of educated stakeholders and experts in favor of select activists,” Tuberville (R-Auburn) said.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) reached a sue and settle agreement with radical environmental interest groups to establish vessel transit restrictions and other obligations for offshore oil and gas leaseholders only including removing millions of unleased acres from leasing.

“The Biden Administration is continually putting a left wing agenda ahead of common sense and the wellbeing of hardworking American families,” Britt (R-Montgomer) said. “Prioritizing partisan activism over economic opportunity and domestic energy dominance is irresponsible and further fueling persistent inflation. I’ll continue to fight back against President Biden’s reckless regulatory regime.”

On Sept. 7, Tuberville wrote NOAA Director Richard Spinrad and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Liz Klein, criticizing the decisions and calling attention to the severe economic impacts the rule would have for Alabama businesses and the gulf’s energy industry as a whole.

The full bill text of the WHALE Act can be found here.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270