Last month, there was another tragic oil spill, this time in the Garden Island Bay off the coast of Louisiana. While the full extent of the damage is still being verified, so far, more than 78,000 gallons of oily water mixture have been recovered. It is yet another reminder of the real threat of offshore oil and gas to our ecosystems and coastal economies.
The fossil fuel industry has conducted drilling operations in our ocean for more than 100 years, and we continue to see the devastating consequences. Recently, the Department of the Interior announced it was seeking public comment as it prepares a plan for new offshore oil and gas lease sales. Instead of discontinuing dirty and dangerous offshore oil and gas leasing, the Department is considering opening up more waters to dangerous drilling.
Every oil spill starts as a lease sale. This is a critical time to send a clear message that the American people are not willing to take the risk of more offshore oil and gas drilling. We don’t want our ocean and communities to bear the brunt of the disasters that are sure to follow.