The Trump administration wants to expand offshore drilling with the possibility of opening up hundreds of millions more acres of our oceans to potential oil spills! This would include the ENTIRE coasts of California and Alaska, as well as vast areas off Florida’s Gulf Coast and more in the western and central Gulf of Mexico.
They not only want to drill more, but are considering waters that are home to critical habitat for endangered animals and abundant fisheries that are economically significant to coastal communities. Keeping our coasts healthy and clean is crucial for wildlife, oceans, and the people who rely on them.
We cannot allow other coastlines to be opened to more dangerous drilling that puts marine life and coastal communities at risk. Join Oceana to urge the Trump administration to protect our coasts — not destroy them.
Petition Letter
Dear Ms. Hammerle,
We are writing in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Proposed Program for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
We oppose expanded offshore oil and gas exploration and lease sales in all federal waters. We are grateful that the Administration listened to the bipartisan calls to remove the Atlantic Coast, Pacific Northwest, in the proposed program. But we cannot risk these other coastlines to deadly drilling and spilling.
Oil spills leave a legacy of destruction for people and wildlife. Pollution from offshore drilling poisons the water and air and contributes to rising ocean temperatures and climate change, resulting in accelerated sea level rise and ocean acidification, more extreme weather events, and greater threats to coastal communities. The Deepwater Horizon disaster caused dolphin populations to decline by 43% and beaked whale populations to decline by 83%. By 2020, the impact of the spill also caused the loss of more than 25,000 jobs and $2.3 billion in industry output.
Our healthy coasts keep our economy thriving; offshore drilling puts them at serious risk. Coastal regions with healthy oceans contribute billions of dollars to the national economy and support millions of jobs. Florida welcomed 143 million visitors in 2024, a record-breaking number. And California is the most visited state, with record-high tourism spending reaching nearly $160 billion in 2024. Alaska’s fishery has the highest landings in the country and had an estimated commercial value of over $1.3 billion in 2024. We oppose the expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling, and the threats these practices pose to America’s coasts. Some of the locations being considered for drilling are further from shore in deeper waters, making them even more difficult to clean up in the event of a spill, especially off Alaska and in the Arctic.
The American public overwhelmingly opposes an expansion of offshore drilling. During the process to develop the upcoming five-year program a total of almost 400,000 comments have been submitted, nearly all of them opposing any expansion of offshore drilling. These comments include more than 90 Members of Congress representing both parties in bipartisan opposition, state and local elected officials and more than 40 resolutions, 5 Governors representing both parties and almost a dozen state agencies over 350 organizations, over 100 scientists, over 30 faith communities, military leaders, as well as commercial and recreational fishery groups all opposed to the expansion of offshore drilling in the plan. This long-standing, broad, diverse, and scientifically based opposition supports protecting our coasts, not drilling on them. We Americans deeply value our coasts. Our connection to the oceans not only fuels the strong coastal economies that thrive on recreational and commercial activities but also supports the way of life that makes coastal communities essential to people across the country.
We urge BOEM to not expand offshore drilling through the five-year program and instead protect our coasts for all that they provide us and future generations.
Sincerely,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}