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On April 20, 2010, an explosion and fire aboard an oil drilling platform killed eleven workers and unleashed a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Beyond the immediate human tragedy, the Deepwater Horizon disaster has imperiled the ecosystem along the U.S. Gulf Coast and impacted residents who depend on a healthy Gulf of Mexico. The spill raises serious concerns about drilling in sensitive habitats from the Gulf to the Arctic Ocean, as well as broader questions of national energy policy.
In response to this environmental calamity, Pew is pushing for reform of both the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Oil Pollution Act and passage of the Coastal Jobs Creation Act. Congress should act to:
The environmental implications of the oil spill intersect with a number of the Pew Environment Group’s campaigns including securing protections for bluefin tuna, creating a national ocean policy, ending overfishing in the Southeast, protecting life in the Arctic, conserving sharks, addressing global warming and developing a clean energy policy.
View maps of how the oil slick overlays with habitats of several marine species.
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Plug the Leaks in the Law. Read Pew’s offshore energy reform to-do list.
This ad ran calling on Congress to reform The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Oil Pollution Act ran on July 20th in Politico, Roll Call and The Hill.
View the Ad (PDF)
