JUPITER, Fla. — President Donald Trump is seeking to claim the mantle of an environmental steward as he announces an expansion of a ban on offshore drilling and highlights conservation projects in Florida.
However, his administration has overturned or weakened numerous regulations meant to protect air and water quality and lands essential for imperiled species.
Speaking Tuesday beside the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Trump says he is extending and expanding a ban on new offshore drilling sites off the Florida coast as well as off Georgia and South Carolina. The existing moratorium covers the Gulf of Mexico, and the president says the new one will also cover the Atlantic coast — a significant political concern in coastal states like Florida.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined the president at the lighthouse news conference. His predecessor weighed in on the matter after the news conference.
“As Governor of Florida, I fought for and secured a commitment from this Administration to keep oil drilling off Florida’s coasts," Sen. Rick Scott wrote in a statement. "I’ve had many conversations with the President and his Administration about the importance of keeping Florida’s coastlines pristine, and I’m glad the President is extending the moratorium on oil drilling for another 10 years.
“I applaud this announcement today, which is a result of the many conversations we have had over the years and is a huge win for Florida.”
The Trump administration has been speaking of the environment recently. The White House says the upcoming 2021 budget, which is not yet approved by Congress, proposes $250 million in annual funding to construct new infrastructure as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.
"These projects aim to reinvigorate the Everglades, enhance regional water storage capacity, and reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee, helping address the problems of blue-green algae and the red tide," the White House said.
Trump in August signed the Great American Outdoors Act that devotes nearly $3 billion annually to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands.
It was widely approved by Congress with bipartisan support.
In August 2019, however, the Trump administration moved to weaken how it applies the 45-year-old Endangered Species Act, ordering changes that critics said will speed the loss of animals and plants at a time of record global extinctions.
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