Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – Today, the Biden administration’s Department of the Interior released a draft five year plan for offshore drilling. The plan does not include any lease sales for the remainder of 2022, but could potentially lead to10 lease sales in the central and western Gulf of Mexico and one in Cook Inlet.
Contrary to the fossil fuel industry’s alarmist claims, new research shows that eliminating new oil and gas leasing would not meaningfully impact energy prices.
In response, Sierra Club Lands Protection Director Athan Manuel released the following statement:
“Coastal communities, especially in the Gulf, have been subjected to the threat of offshore drilling disasters for far too long, and suffer disproportionate harms from this dangerous and polluting activity, as well as worsening extreme weather caused by fossil fuel-driven climate change. At a time when we need to be rapidly transitioning away from dirty oil and gas to meet our climate commitments and avert the worst of the climate crisis, the last thing we need is to sell off even more of our waters to the fossil fuel industry. Ruling out new leases this year is an important step toward protecting communities and climate, and we urge the administration to finalize a plan that commits to no new offshore drilling leases, period.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.