General Assembly Must Take Immediate Action on Offshore Drilling if Congress Lifts Ban
(Edgefield, SC) - State Senator Shane Massey today called on Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell and Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell to call a meeting of a special committee to study the feasibility of natural gas exploration off the coast of South Carolina so that the General Assembly can take immediate action if Congress fails to renew the twenty-five year ban on offshore drilling.
The study committee, which was created by the General Assembly in June 2007, was supposed to meet last fall and report to the state legislature during the 2008 session, but it has yet to organize and hold its first meeting. New legislation was passed during the 2008 legislative session mandating the committee meet in November of this year, but a lack of committee appointments could delay action again.
The committee has been charged with the task of examining the potential benefits and detriments of drilling for natural gas off South Carolinas shores if the current federal ban on offshore drilling were lifted. Congress is considering proposals to modify the ban to allow drilling off the shores of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Senator Massey commented, “We can’t keep waiting for Congress to solve our energy problems. Rapidly rising energy costs are leading our nation and our economy into a crisis. The federal government’s attitude of putting it off until later has left us in a serious bind. We have to look for alternatives to our current energy supply, and natural gas is one that could have an immediate impact on South Carolina.”
Senator Massey added, If Congress lifts the ban, our legislature needs to have a clear understanding of what options are available to our state so we can act quickly. That’s why the study committee was created in the first place. South Carolina has an opportunity to lead the nation in the expansion of energy resources and we must get the job done for working families struggling with skyrocketing energy costs.
The U.S. Congress must reauthorize the ban by September 30, 2008, or it will be lifted and coastal states will have the option of pursuing exploration and drilling for natural gas.
LETTER TO SENATOR McCONNELL AND SPEAKER HARRELL
Dear Senator McConnell and Speaker Harrell
I write you today with an extreme sense of urgency. I have no doubt that you are closely following the developing national debate on energy, offshore drilling, and the need for alternative energy sources. Many South Carolina families are closely following this debate, as well.
Time is of the essence. Rapidly rising energy costs are leading our nation and our economy into a crisis. The federal government’s attitude of “putting it off until later” has left us in a serious bind. We must look for alternatives to our current energy supply, and natural gas is one that could have the most immediate impact on South Carolina.
The recent return of the United States Congress to session has added a new spark to the debate as a vote on The Energy Reform Act of 2008 is expected very soon. The forthcoming vote by Congress will impact energy policy in the United States for years to come. One of the issues being heavily debated by Congress is the renewal/expiration of a ban on offshore drilling. Should the ban be allowed to expire, South Carolina will have an unprecedented opportunity to allow exploration and possibly drilling off our coast.
This brings me to the point of my letter. As you are aware, during the 2007 legislative session the General Assembly passed a joint resolution (H.3828), which established a study committee to examine the feasibility of natural gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina. The committee was supposed to meet in 2007 and present their findings to the General Assembly during the 2008 session. The committee did not do so and a new resolution was passed (H.4447) stating that the committee must meet by November of this year.
I understand there has been a holdup in appointing members of the study committee, which could cause a delay in their presentation to the General Assembly. While you have made your appointments, appointments by the 2nd Congressional District and the 6th Congressional District have not been made. I urge you to contact those who still have appointments outstanding and share with them the urgency of our opportunity.
If Congress lifts the ban, the General Assembly must act immediately in passing offshore drilling legislation; the people of South Carolina need to have a clear understanding of what options are available to our state. That is why the study committee was created in the first place. South Carolina has an opportunity to lead the nation in the expansion of energy resources, and that is exactly why I am urging you as leaders to help move forward this feasibility study committee as quickly as possible.
I cannot think of a more pressing issue affecting the daily lives of South Carolina’s working men and women than the rising cost of energy. Although I am asking you to help move the study committee forward, I am also offering to be of service myself in any way possible.
Government needs to do for people what they cannot do for themselves, so as a State Senator representing homeowners, small business owners, and tax payers I think it is vitally important to finalize the study committee appointments so the committee can start building the foundation of information needed for the General Assembly to take immediate action about the future use of natural gas resources in South Carolina.
Sincerely,
Shane Massey
Senate District 25
