New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill prohibiting offshore drilling in state waters.
The legislation is a direct response opposing the Trump administration’s proposal to open most of the coastal areas of the United States to oil and gas drilling.
The State of New York requested the federal government to exclude it from its offshore drilling program. The state explained that it could lose hundreds of thousands jobs and billions of dollars generated from its tourism and fishing industries.
The newly-signed legislation prohibits the issuance of permits for oil and gas drilling or exploration in offshore areas controlled by the State of New York.
In addition, it prohibits the leasing of State-owned underwater coastal land that would authorize or facilitate the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas.
In a statement, Cuomo said, “This bill says no way are you going to drill off the coast of Long Island and New York, because we must lead the way as an alternative to what this federal government is doing.”
