‘Fear mongering’ led to Obama Administration’s decision to block Atlantic offshore drilling, says retired U.S. Army captain

In what some are calling a major reversal of policy, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell yesterday announced that the Obama Administration will block oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

Jewell said the decision “protects the Atlantic for future generations”, but one critic blasted the move as a job-killer that threatens our national security.

“Fear mongering and unproven rhetoric have closed the door to over 18,000 jobs for veterans and a chance to secure a totally energy independent America,” said Capt. James McCormick, USA (Ret), the program director for Vets4Energy. “A radical few have hurt the majority of America and our allies who were counting on our energy supplies to break them free from the grip of unfriendly nations.”

Vets4Energy is a national group of veterans that advocates for energy policies that contribute to America's national security.

The Atlantic OCS lies off the shores of the mid-Atlantic states, stretching from Virginia to Georgia. Previous seismic testing showed the Atlantic OCS could hold as much as 4.7 billion barrels of oil and 37 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, but some experts believe the reserves could be far greater.

McCormick says the decision was based on fear, instead of science.

“Why they are basing decisions on fear tactics, fairy tales and unproven science over facts, engineering, proven science and geological data,” asked McCormick. “Why jeopardize our domestic energy production and make our national security vulnerable and attempt to put us back under the feet of OPEC leaving that as the legacy of this administration.”