SB207 and SB200 – Opposing Off Shore Drilling (Updated)

Senator Stephanie Hansen has introduced this bipartisan bill that will essentially act like a Resolution with Teeth, in that it will express the General Assembly’s displeasure with something, in this case, President Trump’s desire to destroy the entirety of the east coast by drilling offshore for oil.   But it will also do something about that displeasure.  If passed and signed into law, SB207 would:

(1) Expresses the General Assembly’s and Governor’s opposition to the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program (“Draft Proposed Program”).

(2) Directs the Attorney General and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (“Department”) to review the Draft Proposed Program and any final proposed program, and, if necessary, seek judicial review of the final proposed program.

(3) Directs the Attorney General and Department to enforce Delaware’s rights under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and Delaware’s Coastal Zone Act.

(4) Directs the Department and the Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board to enforce compliance with the Coastal Zone Act.

(5) Directs the Department to review Delaware law to ensure these laws properly reflect Delaware’s environmental policy objectives for purposes of their use in the consistency review process under the Coastal Zone Management Act.

(6) Directs the Department to report to the Chair of the Senate Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Committee and the Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee any legislative changes that are identified as necessary.

SB207 – Opposing Off Shore Drilling
STATUS – Waiting on a hearing in committee
HISTORY – Senate Environmental, Natural Resources & Energy 5/10/18
SPONSORS – Hansen, Lopez, Ennis, Hocker, Sokola, Townsend, Baumbach, Keeley, Kowalko, Osienski, Viola
YES –
NO –
ABSENT –
NOT VOTING –

Republican Senator Ernie Lopez, who represents the 6th Senate District that includes Lewes and Rehoboth, has also introduced SB200, which would prohibit drilling for oil or natural gas in Delaware’s coastal zone and territorial waters and precludes DNREC from issuing any permits in connection with the development of offshore drilling infrastructure, whether proposed for Delaware territorial waters or waters outside of the State.

SB200 – Opposing Off Shore Drilling
STATUS – Waiting on a hearing in committee
HISTORY – Senate Environmental, Natural Resources & Energy 5/8/18
SPONSORS – Lopez, Hansen, Schwartzkopf, Baumbach, Ennis, Lavelle, Sokola, Gray, Hudson, Keeley, Kowalko, Lynn, Osienski, Paradee, B.Short
YES –
NO –
ABSENT –
NOT VOTING –