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Sep 14, 2018
You are cordially invited to join Governor John Carney, sponsors Sen. Stephanie Hansen, Sen. Ernie Lopez, Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf and Rep. Deb Heffernan, other Members of the General Assembly, coastal town mayors, small business owners, supporters and advocates on Thursday, September 20th, 11:00 a.m., as he signs Senate Bill 200 and SS1 for Senate Bill 207 into law at the Rehoboth Beach Band Stand in downtown Rehoboth. Senate Bill 200 prohibits 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 the state. Senate Substitute #1 for Senate Bill 207 as amended by Senate Amendment #1 opposes drilling off Delaware’s coast and directs certain state officials and state agencies to enforce Delaware’s rights relating to offshore drilling under federal and state environmental laws.
SYNOPSIS of SB 200 (Hansen):
This Act prohibits 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.
SYNOPSIS of SB 207 (Lopez):
Substitute Act does all of the following: (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) Requests the Department of Justice review the Draft Proposed Program, and any other actions taken by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior targeted at approving an oil and gas leasing program, and take any appropriate legal steps to prevent the sale of oil and gas leases off the coast of the State of Delaware. (3) Directs the Department and the Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board to enforce compliance with the Coastal Zone Act. (4) 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. (5) 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. This Substitute Act differs from the original Act in that it replaces Section 2 and 3 of the original Act with a new Section 2 that provides the Department of Justice with more flexibility to prevent the sale of oil and gas leases off Delaware’s coast.
Senate Amendment #1 to SS 1 for SB 207: This Amendment clarifies that the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control shall review the Delaware Coastal Management Program’s policies and enforceable mechanisms as they relate to offshore drilling to ensure they reflect Delaware’s current environmental laws and regulations for purposes of their use in the consistency review process under the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act.
