Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – Maryland is among the East Coast states that want what Florida got – an offshore drilling waiver. Maryland’s Attorney General Brian Frosh told WMAL in an exclusive interview the state will petition for one.
“The idea that they meet with the governor of Florida and say, “oh ok you can have a waiver because Donald Trump has a resort at Mar-a-Lago” is outrageous,” Frosh said.
Governors from other east coast states, including Virginia, have asked the Interior Department for the exemption. In Maryland’s case the request is coming from Frosh.
When reached by WMAL News Friday, Gov. Larry Hogan’s office sent this statement:
“The governor has made it extremely clear that he opposes this kind of exploration off our coastline and that will never change. The administration will continue making the case to the federal government that Maryland’s bays and beaches are vital to the health and economy of our state and region. The governor has previously directed Attorney General Frosh to take any legal action necessary against the federal government to prevent this possible exploration.”
Maryland Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin joined their counterparts in Virginia, Rhode Island, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington and Washington who signed a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke saying their states should be treated the same as Florida.
In another letter to Zinke Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam said the Chesapeake Bay and the Commonwealth’s ocean and coastal resources are just as ecologically and economically valuable as those of Florida.
Frosh said if Maryland is not granted the waiver, the state will sue the Trump administration.
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