Snowe Vows to Fight Drilling Off Maine's Coast

SNOWE VOWS TO FIGHT DRILLING OFF MAINE'S COAST

U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today vowed to fight legislation passed yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow oil and natural gas drilling 50 miles off of Maine's coast.

Snowe issued the following statement today:

"Today, I pledge to fight a dangerous piece of legislation that passed the House of Representatives yesterday that would allow drilling for oil and natural gas fifty miles off the coast of Maine. This misguided policy could dramatically impact coastal-dependent states like Maine at a time when we are working to stabilize fragile fish stocks and ecosystems. I, therefore, believe it is imperative that we maintain the moratorium preventing drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf that has been supported by the first President Bush and President Clinton. Working with my colleague from Florida, Senator Bill Nelson, we will build a broad, bipartisan coalition in the Senate against any measure that could lead to destruction off our shores.

"There are ways of reducing our reliance on foreign imported oil that does not threaten our fragile coastal ecosystems. I believe we have the innovative spirit and know how to transform our nation away from such a dangerous dependence on petroleum. Together, through a comprehensive approach, we can save consumer billions of dollars on their energy bills."

http://snowe.senate.gov/news.htm