CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - South Carolina first district Rep. Joe Cunningham has formally introduced his bill to ban offshore drilling off both coasts of the United States.
Cunningham first announced his plans to introduce the Coastal and Marine Economise Protection Act back in January.
“I’ve been clear from the very beginning that our beaches, businesses, and way of life should not be for sale," Cunningham said in a statement. "South Carolinians want nothing to do with offshore drilling and the devastating threat it poses to our vibrant natural resources,” said Congressman Joe Cunningham. “I am proud to have the support of a bipartisan group of lawmakers, advocates, and organizations up and down South Carolina and across both the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to lead this bipartisan bill across the finish line to ban offshore drilling off our coast once and for all.”
As a former ocean engineer, Cunningham made the environment and offshore drilling one the central issues of his run for congress during the 2018 election cycle.
A report from the Southern Environmental Law Center released last October says offshore drilling would add a significant risk every time a hurricane or major storm hits.
He was also present downtown when numerous environmental groups announced they weref iling a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump to try and stop seismic testing.
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