Oil and gas operations in parts of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico can coexist with national defense priorities, industry supporters said of a Pentagon review. The U.S. Department of Defense answered Congressional questions on oil and gas operations in the eastern waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. That acreage is deemed critical and “irreplaceable” to U.S. military readiness. In January, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced most of the nation’s outer continental shelf was being considered for drilling, including off the coasts of Maine, California, Florida and Alaska. The proposal was hailed by the oil and gas industry but was met with criticism from elected officials from both political parties in the affected regions, along with environmentalists, fisheries […]