Hurricane season is in full swing — and it’s throwing into the spotlight an ongoing debate between industry and environmental groups over expanding offshore drilling. The National Ocean Industries Association is pointing to hurricanes as a reason the United States should allow offshore drilling in areas beyond the Gulf of Mexico. Because most of the nation’s offshore drilling is concentrated in such a hurricane-prone region, the lobbying group that represents offshore energy companies warns the country is “rolling the dice” with natural disasters, which can jeopardize the country’s oil supply if bad weather forces companies to shut down oil production and evacuate oil platforms. The group wants the Interior Department to expand oil production into the southeast Atlantic, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and off […]