With Trump in the White House, “Drill, baby, drill,” is Back

Greetings, fellow Resistbotters! One issue being considered this week is a new Executive Order that requires a review that is likely to open up federally-controlled waters in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans and parts of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration.

What could happen?

• Energy companies who have been denied leases in these areas will be able to receive them and start drilling.
• National Marine Sanctuaries will no longer enjoy freedom from drilling. Instead, each time a new sanctuary is proposed, a survey of the area’s potential for energy exploitation must be completed, paving the way for drilling in these areas.
• All existing National Marine Sanctuaries created within the last 10 years will also be reviewed within the next 180 days to analyze the costs of potential energy production, also paving the way for drilling.

How this affects you:

• Millions more acres of federal waters become eligible for oil and gas leasing.
• Drilling could begin in National Marine Sanctuaries.
• Oil spill could occur in fragile marine environments. Spills in these areas would harm threatened species and create oil slicks that can only be dispersed with chemicals that make spilled oil more toxic to the environment.
• Drilling in protected areas will lead to economic losses in nearby coastal communities since National Marine Sanctuaries are a major driver of tourism and fishing dollars.
• If there were an oil spill in a remote area with broken-ice conditions (like the Arctic), it would be nearly impossible to contain a spill during the winter months. Millions of gallons of oil would continue to leak, endangering many species including polar bears, walrus, whales, and seals.

Tell us what you think!

Thanks for reading! Text RESIST to 50409 to tell your representatives what you think about this. Here’s what else is happening this week:

Could the SEC Help Small Business?