Taylor McFarland
Today marks the close of the public comment period on the Trump administration’s draft offshore drilling plan, and communities all around the country have made their voices heard with a strong message of opposition to this terrible plan.
The proposal, released in January by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, would be an unprecedented expansion of drilling off America’s coasts. It would expand oil and gas drilling into nearly every corner of America’s waters, including in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean.
As soon as the plan was released, there was strong, bipartisan pushback from communities, business leaders, and elected officials from both parties. Over the last 45 days of the public comment period, we worked with our partners to generate more than 1.3 million public comments in opposition to the plan and to drive turnout at every one of the administration’s public hearings.
In spite of the format and locations of the hearings -- just one per state, usually far away from the coastal communities that would be affected by drilling, and with no opportunity to give spoken comments -- people across the country showed up in a big way to send a clear message to Secretary Zinke and the Trump administration: No offshore drilling off our coasts!
Some highlights from the last few months:
The Sierra Club and our Don’t Drill NC coalition partners organized a rally in the same hotel as the hearing in Raleigh. The event had huge turnout, with buses bringing in hundreds of coastal residents to make their voices heard, and a diverse group of speakers including elected officials, fishermen, and faith and business voices. (Photo: Erin Carey)
Led by Defend the Sacred-AK, an Alaska based coalition, a crowd rallied outside the hearing in Anchorage. Alaska Native leaders from across Alaska urged the Department of Interior to protect the Arctic from oil spills and the increased threat of climate change driven by fossil fuel extraction. (Photo: Alli Harvey)
Rep. Maxine Waters joined our rally in Los Angeles as part of a statewide day of action in California, with thousands of people joining rallies and marches in cities up and down the California coast. (Photo: Sarah Friedman)
Offshore drilling opponents rallied in Georgia to urge Governor Nathan Deal to oppose drilling off the state’s coast. (Photo: Environment Georgia)
Ahead of the public hearing in Boston, Massachusetts Chapter Director Emily Norton joined Senator Ed Markey for a press conference opposing the Trump administration’s offshore drilling plan. (Photo: Emily Norton)
Despite rainy and cold weather, a crowd of environmental activists and community members gathered in Austin, TX to tell Zinke: Offshore drilling puts the entire Texas coastline at risk, and we can't afford another disaster at the hands of oil companies that put profit above our health, communities and climate. (Photo: Larisa Manescu)