Report | January, 2025
President Biden Permanently Protects Vast U.S. Coastlines from Offshore Drilling
President Biden has permanently protected the East Coast, West Coast, and eastern Gulf of Mexico from offshore oil and gas drilling. These areas are now off limits to offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters, from Washington to California and Maine to Florida.
Politicians in Congress and organizations in the defense industry, business community, and non-profit networks joined together with people across the country to call for permanent coastal protections. These voices helped push for President Biden’s decision to withdraw these coastal areas from offshore drilling forever.
A poll released by Oceana in July 2024 revealed that two-thirds of American voters (64%) support their elected officials protecting U.S. coastlines from new offshore drilling, with similar support among registered voters in coastal states (66%). The poll also found this support grew among youth voters 18 to 29 years of age (70%).
A 2021 analysis by Oceana found that ending new leasing could prevent more than $720 billion in damage to people, property, and the environment. The oil industry currently holds more than 2,000 leases, according to a 2023 Oceana report, with 75% of that ocean acreage currently unused.
Materials:
- Press Release
- Map of President Biden’s Permanent Protections
- Map of Previous Continental U.S. Protections Before President Biden’s Announcement
- Senate Letter on Permanent Protections
- House of Representatives Leaders Letter on Permanent Protections
- Joint Business Comment Letter on Permanent Protections
- Defense Support Initiatives Committee Letter on Permanent Protections
- 197 Organization Letter on Permanent Protections
- Reaction from Leaders Across the Country
- B-Roll
Media Contacts:
Cory Gunkel, cgunkel@oceana.org
Megan Jordan, mjordan@oceana.org
