Critics: Trump’s ocean policy bad for coastal states like Connecticut

President Donald Trump’s order last week to refocus the National Ocean Plan on creating jobs — and eliminating references to climate change — is drawing outrage and hand wringing from environmentalists.

“Repeal of the National Ocean Policy is a massive giveaway to Big Oil and polluters at the expense of coastal states like Connecticut,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

With the stroke of a pen, Trump erased the ocean plan put in place by former President Barrack Obama and created a new one focused on jobs, offshore drilling, economics and national security.

"Ocean industries employ millions of Americans and support a strong national economy," Trump said in an executive order creating the new plan.

"Domestic energy production from Federal waters strengthens the Nation’s security and reduces reliance on imported energy,” the order notes.

The new plan makes no mention of climate change or rising sea levels, and removes previous references to biodiversity and conservation.

John Mandelman, chief scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, said stripping science from the ocean plan will hurt America in the long run.

"Science-based decision-making is the best way to ensure that we use our ocean resources in a way that provides economic and environmental benefits to all Americans for generations to come, rather than just provide a short-lived economic benefit that is likely to have significant and often unanticipated consequences," Mandelman said.

Obama’s ocean plan, written in 2010 after the deadly BP Deepwater Horizon spill dumped 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, listed 10 policy priorities aimed at preserving or understanding the environment.

Only two of Trump's seven priorities mention the environment or sustainability — and both include references to the economy.

Obama’s plan noted that "America's stewardship of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes is intrinsically linked to environmental sustainability, human health and well-being, national prosperity, adaptation to climate and other environmental changes, social justice, international diplomacy, and national and homeland security.”

Ocean economy

Trump’s ocean plan is aimed at creating jobs, bolstering the economy and streamlining regulatory approvals. The Trump administration has already changed or eliminated dozens of federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations and relaxed standards.

The ocean plan states that a top priority is facilitating "the economic growth of coastal communities and promote ocean industries.” and pledges to "ensure that Federal regulations and management decisions do not prevent productive and sustainable use of ocean, coastal and Great Lakes waters.”

It also notes that the nation’s oceans are “foundational to the economy, security, global competitiveness and well-being” of the U.S.

The Conservation Law Foundation in Boston said Trump’s plan is an "affront” to the federal and state agencies, communities, fishermen and others who have worked to protect the oceans.

Blumenthal said ignoring climate change in an ocean plan amounts to ignoring reality.

"Climate change is a real and imminent threat to the health of our oceans that must be reckoned with,” Blumenthal said.

“Resource grab”

The Ocean Conservancy said Trump’s plan comes after the president opened U.S. waters to offshore oil and gas drilling, cut more than $1 billion from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and began changing safety regulations enacted after the Deepwater spill.

"To mark National Ocean Month this June, the Trump administration continues to roll back critical pieces of policy that keep our oceans healthy and working," the Ocean Conservancy said.

Bill Lucey, the Long Island Soundkeeper, said the Trump plan is another step in the administration’s dismantling of environmental and conservation initiatives.

“It’s a public resource grab for another private interest,” Lucey said. “It’s disturbing.”

Lucey said the laws on the books now are not sufficient to battle an ongoing assault on the oceans and the environment.

“We are constantly finding new pollution going into the Sound with the existing laws we have,” Lucey said. “We have not cleaned up the mess. I don’t understand the logic [of Trump’s plan].”

bcummings@ctpost.com