ANNAPOLIS, Md.– Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan authorized the filing of a lawsuit against the federal government aimed at preventing seismic testing for offshore oil exploration off the east coast.
"We have made incredible progress in improving our air and water quality standards, and we are not going to let misguided policies from the federal government jeopardize our hard work,” Hogan said. “Maryland will continue to fight against this sort of federal government overreach that threatens our natural resources and coastal communities.”
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources joined a multi-state legal action against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration over its November authorization of seismic testing. The state has consistently voiced opposition to seismic testing, along with offshore oil and gas development and exploration.
Maryland's DNR expressed concern that the surveys could impact marine species and habitats in the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
The lawsuit, filed in South Carolina, asserts that the National Marine Fisheries Service violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act when it issued Incidental Harassment Authorizations to five companies on Nov. 30.