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Protect U.S. Waters from New Offshore Drilling

Protect U.S. Waters from New Offshore Drilling

Surfrider is urging Congress to pass federal legislation to permanently protect U.S. waters

Surfrider is urging our federal leaders in the House and Senate to pass legislation to permanently ban oil and gas development during the 2023-2024 Congress. Our coasts will never be safe from the threat of offshore drilling under the current 5-year plan process led by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Accordingly, we are working with members of Congress to introduce and pass bills that will protect different regions of the country from this harmful activity.

Several bills have been introduced thus far, including the West Coast Protection Act (S 22/ H.R. 470), which would ban drilling off the West Coast,  the COAST Anti-Drilling Act (S. 1851 / H.R. 3116), which would ban drilling off the East Coast, the Florida Coastal Protection Act (H.R.1443) that would protect the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and other waters off Florida, and the Arctic Ocean Protection Act (H.R. 4031) that would protect the Arctic Ocean. 

Surfrider also supports the Nonrestrictive Offshore Wind (NOW) Act (HR 4936) to end the requirement that the Department of Interior hold an offshore oil and gas lease sale in the year prior to issuing an offshore wind lease. Requiring new oil and gas leasing as a condition of renewable energy development is bad climate change policy. The NOW Act removes this harmful provision of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Surfrider is determined to pass these and other bills to ensure that U.S. waters will not continue to be vulnerable to new leasing through the 5-year plan process.

Surfrider has a long and proud history of defending U.S. coastlines from new offshore drilling. For decades, our chapters have fought to stop oil and gas development in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. We have also helped build a national coalition of over 400 municipalities, 55,000 businesses, 2,500 elected officials, 500,000 fishing families, and millions of people that demand an end to new offshore drilling. Please join Surfrider in demanding that our federal government end new oil and gas development and advance a clean energy future!

Make Your Voice Heard

Please join us by contacting your federal representatives in support of ending new offshore drilling. Complete our Action Alert or, better yet, call your representatives in the House and Senate today!

Without a massive mobilization by the public, our voice will be drowned out by the lobbying power of Big Oil in Washington, D.C. Let’s protect the places we love and #protectourcoasts!

Stop Offshore Drilling Campaign Resources

Campaign Resources on Surfrider's Brand Portal