Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order Thursday blocking offshore drilling, joining several other states trying to shield themselves from the Trump administration’s plan to drill for oil and gas off the U.S. coast.
The order directs state agencies to protect Oregon’s coastal economy by preventing activities associated with offshore oil and gas drilling. It comes as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to expand offshore drilling and has scrapped an Obama-era policy to protect oceans and the Great Lakes, replacing it with one emphasizing economic growth.
Brown, a Democrat, sought a federal exemption for Oregon but has not received one, unlike Florida’s Republican governor.
Brown said her executive order will make it clear to oil and gas speculators that Oregon is not for sale. States control 3 miles (5 kilometers) of ocean closest to shore. To deter drilling further offshore, the executive order prevents the development of any infrastructure associated with drilling.
