The Interior Department said that the Minerals Management Service received some 535,000 public comments for its OCS 2010-2015 5-year plan during the 6-month comment period that expired on September 21, and according to the Consumer Energy Alliance, over 60% of the comments supported responsible drilling. Key comments were also sent from members of Congress, including a letter from 35 Senators (30 Republicans and five Democrats) to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar urging him to open up new offshore areas in the Atlantic and Pacific for oil and natural gas drilling. Click here to read the letter.