Stop Offshore Drilling

What's New

On May 18, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 217-203 to renew the 25-year-old congressional ban on new offshore drilling off the shores of 17 states. The bipartisan amendment to the FY07 Department of Interior Appropriations Bill was offered by Reps. Adam Putnam (Fl.), Jim Davis (Fl.), Bill Young (Fl.), Mark Foley (Fl.), and Lois Capps (Calif.).

How You Can Help

Please take a moment to sign a petition urging your senator to vote against offshore drilling.

Brief Summary

Offshore drilling creates a heavy burden on the oceans. Even when there are no large spills, the drilling and production process routinely releases hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and mud tainted with mercury, carcinogens and poisons into fragile ecosystems. And the risk of catastrophic disaster, like the 1969 oil spill that ravaged Santa Barbara, CA, is always present.

Moreover, more drilling simply reinforces what even President Bush has called “America’s addiction to oil.”

By investing in energy efficiency and clean, renewable power, we could conserve more oil annually than all the deposits off America’s coasts.

For more than a decade, Congress has held the line against those who would plunder our oceans for oil. And yet, the oil and gas industry is looking to the “lame duck” session this November as perhaps their last, best chance to reverse this protection. Stopping them will be a top Environment New Hampshire priority for the remainder of 2006.

Offshore drilling creates the risk of monumental disaster for our coasts.