From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):
The Biden administration has released its proposal for future drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
More than 10 years after the biggest oil spill ever in U.S. waters, the Gulf of Mexico is still reeling from the damage.
Many species, including deep-sea coral, common loons and spotted sea trout, have yet to recover their population numbers. Bottlenose dolphins have been sick since the spill.1
Despite this, new offshore drilling leases might soon come to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Cook Inlet in Alaska. The Biden administration recently released a draft of a proposal for up to 11 new lease sales.
Sign onto our petition at https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=51736 calling for the Biden administration to halt new offshore leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and Cook Inlet.
History has proven that when we drill, we spill. Just last year, an oil spill off the coast of Southern California showed that damage can occur to beaches and coastal communities even decades after the lease is sold.2
Offshore drilling’s impacts are not only felt during major, catastrophic oil spills. The day-to-day operations required to bring oil to shore also pose risks to coastal ecosystems and communities.3
The bad news is that the government is already legally committed to some leases over the next year — but we don’t have to make the damage any worse. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to prevent any new offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico or Cook Inlet after 2023. The Biden administration is currently accepting public input on its draft proposal and is legally obligated to review and consider all comments.
1. Joan Meiners, “Ten years later, BP oil spill continues to harm wildlife — especially dolphins,” National Geographic, April 17, 2020.
2. Kelsey Lamp, “Biden administration’s drilling proposal would put U.S. over a barrel,” Environment America, July 1, 2022.
3. Kelsey Lamp, “Biden administration’s drilling proposal would put U.S. over a barrel,” Environment America, July 1, 2022.
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