This month, the Trump administration proposed opening 90% of US waters to offshore drilling between 2019 and 2024. That’s right — if this plan becomes law, the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Eastern Gulf coasts will all be in the hands of Big Oil. That means oil rigs from Maine to Louisiana, and from Alaska down to California.
While they attempt to hand our coasts over to oil companies, Trump and his buddies are also rushing to dismantle safety regulations that were enacted after the Deepwater Horizon spill.1 And on New Year’s Day, Congress also failed to renew a longstanding oil tax that funds cleanup efforts for oil spills.2
It almost sounds too sinister to be true — they want to open 90% of our coasts to drilling but won’t enforce basic safety standards or fund programs to clean up the inevitable spills.
Tell BOEM that the people have spoken — no drilling off our coasts!
1. Eilperin, Juliet and Grandoni, Dino. “Trump administration to overhaul safety-monitoring rules for offshore drilling” The Washington Post. 12/28/18.
2. Eilperin, Juliet and Grandoni, Dino. “Without fanfare, oil companies just received a tax break on New Year’s Day” The Washington Post. 1/5/18.
Trump’s Department of the Interior has proposed opening 90% of America’s coasts to offshore drilling — from Maine to the Gulf, and from Alaska down to Southern California. If Trump’s plan becomes reality, spills will be inevitable — and devastating. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill damaged 1,313 miles of coastline. That’s more than the entire length of California, or half the Atlantic coast. Offshore oil spills happen frequently, devastating marine environments, commercial fishing industries, and tourism businesses. Even without spills, offshore oil causes pollution.
We need to show this administration how deeply unpopular their drilling scheme is. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is holding hearings in coastal states throughout January and February. RSVP for an event in your area, and we’ll follow up with more details and talking points.
Hearings
Please note that a few of the hearings have been postponed due to the government shutdown. We’ll update this page with new dates and details once BOEM has rescheduled their events. You can still RSVP for these events, and we’ll follow up once we have more information.
Tacoma, WA
WHEN: February 5th, 3 – 7 pm PT
WHERE: Tacoma’s Landmark Catering and Convention Center, 47 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 (map)
We’ll also be holding a people’s hearing in the Corinthian ballroom from 2 pm – 8 pm, with a rally scheduled for 5:30 pm
Austin, TX
WHEN: February 6th, 3 – 7 pm CT
WHERE: Embassy Suites by Hilton, 5901 North IH-35, Austin, TX 78723 (map)
Salem, OR
WHEN: February 6th, 3 – 7 pm PT
WHERE: Red Lion Hotel Salem, 3301 Market Street NE, Salem, OR 97301 (map)
Tallahassee, FL
WHEN: February 8th, 3 – 7 pm ET
WHERE: Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee Downtown, 316 West Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301 (map)
Sacramento, CA
WHEN: February 8th, 3 – 7 pm PT
WHERE: Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 (map)
We’ll meet at the North Steps of the California State Capitol (map) for a rally at 1:30 pm before going to the BOEM meeting. Some chapters will be arranging transportation and will follow up with an email with more details about providing buses and local carpooling opportunities.
Hartford, CT
WHEN: February 13th, 3 -7 pm ET
WHERE: Hartford Marriott Downtown, 200 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT 06103 (map)
Columbia, SC
WHEN: February 13th, 3 – 7 pm ET
WHERE: Doubletree by Hilton, 2100 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29210 (map)
Trenton, NJ
WHEN: February 14th, 3 – 7 pm ET
WHERE: Hilton Garden Inn, Hamilton, 800 US Highway 130, Hamilton, NJ 08690 (map)
Washington, DC
WHEN: February 22nd, 3 – 7 pm ET
WHERE: Hilton Garden Inn, 1225 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 (map)
Atlanta, GA
WHEN: February 28th, 3 – 7 pm ET
WHERE: Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel, One Hartsfield Centre Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30354 (map)
Augusta, ME – POSTPONED
Baton Rouge, LA – POSTPONED
Anchorage, AK – POSTPONED
Concord, NH – POSTPONED
Boston, MA – POSTPONED
Providence, RI – POSTPONED