Waterkeeper Alliance Applauds Historic Action to Protect Our Oceans and At-Risk Communities From Dangerous Offshore Drilling
By: Waterkeeper Alliance
Today’s bold and historic action to withdraw 625 million acres of public waters from new offshore oil and gas drilling delivers a powerful safeguard for the Atlantic, Eastern Gulf, Pacific, and Northern Bering Sea, protecting these critical areas from dangerous new fossil fuel development.
By using executive authority under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, this policy will protect coastal communities and economies in these regions, ensuring that these areas remain free from the risks associated with offshore drilling.
Offshore drilling exposes local communities and waterways to significant risks, from oil spills to development that harms wildlife and accelerates climate change.
Despite having limited potential for economic gain if developed, these regions play vital roles in our marine ecosystems, coastal economies, and public health. This action reflects the lessons learned from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill, which killed 11 workers, spilled 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf, and caused catastrophic damage to ocean ecosystems, coastal livelihoods, and the tourism industry. It was the worst oil spill in U.S. history, with $17.2 billion in damage and the loss of 25,000 jobs.
Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is a longstanding law that has been used on a bipartisan basis. Importantly, it does not authorize future presidents to undo withdrawals made by their predecessors, ensuring that these protections remain intact over time. Every president over the past century has invoked Section 12(a), with the most recent example being President-elect Donald Trump, who, in 2020, used his authority to protect the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia from new oil and gas leasing for 10 years.
In response to this important act to safeguard our oceans, Marc Yaggi, CEO of Waterkeeper Alliance released the following statement:
“We welcome this commonsense action taken to protect our oceans, along with the communities and economies that depend on them. Offshore drilling harms critical marine ecosystems and devastates local fishermen and families, whose livelihoods and public health are directly impacted by destructive industry pollution and environmental degradation. With climate change-driven disasters becoming more frequent, this action could not have come at a more crucial time as we continue the push to transition away from fossil fuels in favor of cleaner, renewable energy sources that protect our economies, the environment, and the most at-risk communities.”
Waterkeeper Alliance is joined by nearly 400 municipalities and over 2,300 elected officials across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts who have formally opposed the expansion of offshore drilling in these critical areas.
As the need to transition away from fossil fuels in the wake of accelerating climate change persists, this withdrawal is a critical step towards building safe energy solutions and resilient economies for our coastal communities.