The Trump administration is facing increasing pressure from governors of East Coast states to keep federal Atlantic waters out of the five-year oil and natural gas leasing plan it hopes to finalize late next year. Several East Coast governors, including Republicans and supporters of President Donald Trump, have ramped up pressure on the administration to keep the Atlantic out of the 2019-2024 federal offshore lease plan. This is significant since the administration is required by federal law to consider local and state opposition to offshore drilling before it approves a lease sale. “The coast has spoken,” said Sierra Weaver, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. “It’s time for Washington to listen.” Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke “has been clear that the administration will listen to local and state interests,” said Dustin Cranor, a spokesman for Oceana, an environmental group. “If that’s the case, the Atlantic Ocean should […]