State legislators and environmental groups were celebrating a victory March 15 as “We Killed the Drill” day following the Obama administration’s Interior Department announcement that the Eastern Seaboard has been excluded from oil and natural gas exploration and drilling through 2022.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Abigail Ross Hopper announced the proposal for the nation’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program on Tuesday...

...U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) and Congressman Frank Pallone (N.J.-6th) also cheered the removal of the Atlantic Ocean from the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, “protecting the Jersey Shore from the threat of a massive spill that could cripple the coastal environment and economy,” they said in a combined press release.

“Today’s announcement is a victory for our economy, our environment and the overall well-being of our shore communities,” said Menendez. “I’m pleased the administration heard our voices and put the values of New Jerseyans ahead of the financial interests of the oil industry. Standing together, we proved we can beat Big Oil and protect our Jersey Shore for generations to come.”

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