Gov. Pat McCrory held an invitation-only meeting Thursday with representatives of state and federal agencies as well as the oil and gas industry to discuss the possibilities of offshore drilling in North Carolina. Several environmental groups requested the meeting be open to the public. McCrory opened the meeting at the end for a question and answer session.
On Thursday representatives of state and federal agencies met behind closed doors with Gov. Pat McCrory to discuss the possibilities of offshore drilling in North Carolina. Included in the meeting were presenters from the Center for Offshore Safety, Institute for Energy Research, and the Consumer Energy Alliance, all of which have representatives from or receive funding from energy companies. Also present were representatives of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense, and NASA.
Prior to the meeting, a coalition of 10 environmental groups requested that the meeting be open to the public, as the Lumina News reported. A representative of DENR said the meeting was informational only and attendees did not have policy-making or other decision making authority as a body, so it would remain closed.
Toward the end of the meeting, Gov. McCrory did open it up to the public and held a question and answer session with the media that was assembled.