Senator Dole Defends Nc Tourism Industry, Environment Against Potential Offshore Oil Drilling
SENATOR DOLE DEFENDS NC TOURISM INDUSTRY, ENVIRONMENT AGAINST POTENTIAL OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole today co-sponsored an amendment to the energy bill to prevent drilling off the coast of North Carolina. The amendment would strike a provision in the energy bill that allows for a study of oil and natural gas reserves that could lead to future exploration and drilling in this environmentally sensitive area. The Senate currently is considering the energy bill.
"Drilling off our coast not only would be harmful to the environment, but it also would be detrimental to our tourism industry, which is extremely important to North Carolina's coastal economy," said Senator Dole. "I will continue fighting to prevent exploration that could lead to drilling that would jeopardize the livelihood of our coastal communities."
Senator Dole has been a leader in preventing harmful offshore drilling. During consideration of the energy bill in 2003, Senator Dole was the lead Republican in the group of senators who successfully kept offshore drilling language out of the final bill. In February 2005, Senator Dole and a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Domenici opposing offshore drilling and underscoring the negative economic impact of offshore oil and gas exploration on North Carolina and other coastal states.
Since 1993, coastal areas have been protected by a moratorium preventing drilling. Last week, Senator Dole joined a bi-partisan letter to Majority Leader Bill Frist and Minority Leader Harry Reid vowing to work to defeat any provision that undermines the moratorium.
"Now, more than ever, we must work to end our dependence on foreign oil sources," said Senator Dole. "But not at the expense of our coastal environments and economies."
Background
Tourism is one of North Carolina's largest industries, supporting nearly 183,000 jobs. Approximately 49 million visitors traveled to the state last year, ranking it the 8th most popular state destination.
In 2004 travelers spent $13.2 billion across the state, generating more than $2.1 billion in tax receipts. ($1.1 billion in federal taxes, $710.73 million in state tax revenue, and $437.43 million in local tax revenue.)
Source: North Carolina Department of Commerce
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