The international ocean conservation group Oceana is praising Pembroke after the city became the 13th city in Georgia to oppose offshore drilling.

The town’s city council voted March 11 to approve a resolution against offshore drilling ““Georgia residents have so much to lose if offshore drilling or offshore oil exploration moves forward, yet their voices are going unheard in Washington,” said Paulita Bennett-Martin, campaign organizer at Oceana.

 “Offshore drilling is a dirty and dangerous business that would threaten our state’s ocean-dependent tourism, recreation and fishing industries, and our coastal Georgia way of life. Communities are calling on their elected officials to support local interests instead of risking their livelihoods for the benefit of the oil industry. Governor Kemp has stated his opposition to offshore drilling off Georgia’s coast, saying he will fight to defend his position and protect our coast.”