Think it can't happen here?

For the last twenty-five years, the outer continental shelf has been protected from offshore oil drilling in two ways: the moratorium that is voted on by Congress each year and that has historically enjoyed bipartisan support; and by Presidential fiat – first from the Senior Bush and later by President Clinton. Congress is set to vote once again on the moratorium in October. The presidential decree is poised to expire in 2012.

But in the last few months there has been a flurry of proposed legislation that would take away these protections. Citing our dependence on foreign oil and rising energy costs, a host of congressionals have recommended lifting the moratorium for gas and oil projects on the outer countinental shelf that extends off the U.S. coastline from 3 to 200 miles.

Legislation entitled The Ocean States Options Act that came, not surprisingly, from Congressman Richard Pombo's office (R-California) pits states against each other by allowing coastal states to profit from oil leases off their shores. Oil lease funds currently go into a federal pot that is divvied up among the states. Pombo's legislation would allow coastal states to keep at least part of the proceeds from the leases. You can see how this would be quite problematic in a situation where states share offshore waters – like in the Gulf of Mexico or where poorer states such as Louisiana might opt for more drilling – despite the danger of fouling their neighbor, Florida's, coastline in the event of a spill.

Even President Bush's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who recognizes that Florida's coastline is of major concern to Florida voters, has been fighting for restrictions on oil drilling in the Gulf for at least 150 miles off the Florida coast.

And one of Bush's former cabinet members, a staunch Republican, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, along with Florida Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson have been advocating for a 260-mile limit. Seeing the imbroglio developing over leasing off their coast, they are now seeking to permanently protect Florida's coastline. So the proposals and the mark ups have been going back and forth but no one is recognizing the fact that the open waters' boundaries are largely fictional when it comes to an actual oil spill.

The Bush Administration recently unveiled an aggressive plan for offshore drilling along many of America's most sensitive coastlines, and the fate of your own favorite beaches and coastal parklands will be decided very soon.  The jurisdiction of California waters is only three miles form the shoreline.

The federal government has jurisdiction beyond the three-mile limit. They are betting that Californians won’t mind oilrigs so far off the coast that they can’t be seen from shore. We need to take action. You can help determine the future of our nation's natural treasures by letting the Department of Interior know that you want your coast protected.

All of the recently unveiled offshore drilling proposals for the five-year period between 2007 and 2012 are included in the Interior Department's newly proposed Five-Year Offshore Leasing Program.  Comments on this proposal are being sought until April 10, 2006.  Your own comments are very important, because without them, Administration officials will simply cite the support of the oil and gas industry as a rationale for drilling and go ahead with their drilling plan.  You can easily comment here.>>

The newly proposed Bush Five-Year offshore drilling plan, for the first time, would open long-protected waters to the oil industry.  The sensitive areas to be opened for drilling include Florida's Gulf Coast and in the fragile Thousand Islands area just north of the Florida Keys, and areas off Virginia and along the Mid-Atlantic coast.   Also targeted is the lush ecosystem of Bristol Bay, in Alaska's Bering Sea, home to large populations of marine mammals, seabirds, crab, the world's largest Sockeye salmon run, and also provides important habitat to the critically endangered North Pacific Right whale.

The aggressive new Bush drilling plan anticipates that both the annual congressional moratorium and the presidential withdrawals will soon be lifted, and that even our most sensitive fisheries and coastal waters would then be opened to oil rigs and associated routine pollution.  The White House is also continuing its push for drilling in the Arctic waters of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, which provide important habitat for endangered Bowhead, Beluga, Gray, and Orca whales, Polar bears, walrus, where no oil spill cleanup technology has been developed to respond to oil spills in the prevalent broken sea ice conditions.

Just a few weeks ago in his State of the Union message the president spoke disparagingly of America's "addiction" to oil, suggesting that he is determined to do something about it. He called for new research on alternative energy sources.

But the very next day the government's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which researches alternative sources, announced that its budget had been cut by $28 million and that it was forced to fire 32 researchers in ethanol and wind technology - two of the areas Bush mentioned in his speech.

Bush later apologized for "mixed signals" and the embarrassed Energy department quickly moved to restore $5 million to the laboratory's budget. But the laboratory budget still faces a $23 million shortfall for 2006.

That situation tells all you need to know about the seriousness of the administration's oil policies. Essentially Bush has allowed big oil to set policy that is reflected in the Mineral Mangement Service's 5 year plan. What big oil has wanted, big oil has gotten. And it wants to drill the outer continental shelf. The price we pay for the administration's lack of a true conservation program may be the fouling of our own pristine beaches.

 

Sample comment letter on Five-Year Offshore Drilling Plan:

Dear Acting-Interior-Secretary:

I am writing to comment on your proposed Five-Year Offshore Drilling plan.  As you know, this controversial proposal would open sensitive waters to drilling that have been protected for over two decades.   Our coastal economies, based on fishing and tourism, are not worth the risk.  Energy efficiency, painless conservation, and responsible renewable energy development would provide faster, cheaper, and more reliable sources of energy right away.  I encourage your agency not to risk America's natural heritage for a modest supply of oil and gas.  Please respect the longstanding bipartisan will of Congress to continue to protect our coast.  Thank you for this chance to comment on your drilling plan.

Sincerely,

Click here to send an email comment about the Five-Year Offshore Drilling plan.>>

Tell your legislators no offshore drilling.>>