"North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday that his administration will oppose opening up Atlantic Ocean waters to offshore oil-and-gas drilling. Cooper’s decision reverses the state’s policy under former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, who urged federal officials to promote energy exploration in ocean waters to help the nation achieve energy independence.

Making his announcement from Fort Macon State Park in coastal Carteret County, Cooper said the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality will submit its anti-drilling arguments to the U.S. Department of Interior on Friday. Cooper said offshore energy exploration poses risks of oil spills to local ecosystems, tourist economies and the commercial fishing industry, but added that North Carolina workers and ports would see few benefits from drilling in federal ocean waters miles offshore.

'I can sum it up in four words: Not off our coast,' Cooper said. 'It is simply not worth the risk.'"

John Murawski reports for the Raleigh News & Observer July 20, 2017. [2]