Sen. Menendez Leads NJ Delegation Opposing Trump's Plan To Allow Oil Drilling In Atlantic Ocean

NEW JERSEY (CBS) -- Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is leading a group of lawmakers who are asking President Donald Trump to abandon plans to allow oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean.

About 10 percent of New Jersey's economy is tied to business at the beach. Menendez says an oil spill, like the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, would have a devastating effect up and down coast.

"We are very strongly opposed because oil spills don't respect state boundaries and drilling anywhere along the Atlantic Coast poses a significant risk for all of the Eastern Seaboard states," said Menendez.

Menendez and his delegation believe the Trump Administration's off-shore exploration plan is reckless.

"Drill at any cost, anywhere, regardless of the consequences to other elements of our economy," he said.

He says drilling was banned permanently in parts of the Atlantic under former President Barack Obama and it would take a lot of legal action to reverse that.