OMSA on Drilling Moratorium Poll

The Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) issued the following statement about the Bloomberg National Poll on Americans Opposing the Ban on Deepwater Oil Drilling After the Oil Spill:

The results of the national poll of Americans who were asked about their view on the Obama Administration’s moratorium on deep-water drilling are very telling, with nearly three-fourths, or 73 percent, saying “a ban is unnecessary, calling the worst oil spill in U.S. history a 'freak accident,'” according to Bloomberg.

The moratorium to halt drilling will cut the legs out from under a Gulf Coast economy that is already reeling from the initial spill.  It will cause a ripple effect from the offshore workboat operators who supply oil rig equipment all the way down to the grocery stores who supply food for the mariners.  The moratorium is short-sighted and will cripple an already hard-hit maritime industry operating in the Gulf Coast region.  The American people are right to oppose the ban on drilling.   We can’t afford to continue to play Russian roulette with the thousands of jobs in America that depend on the offshore energy sector and we cannot allow a shutdown of offshore activity to make us even more dependent on foreign oil.