Oceana Reacts to Interior Orders That Expand Offshore Drilling  - Oceana USA

Oceana Reacts to Interior Orders That Expand Offshore Drilling 

Press Release Date: February 3, 2025

Location: Washington, D.C.

Contact:

Cory Gunkel, Megan Jordan | email: cgunkel@oceana.org, mjordan@oceana.org | tel: Cory Gunkel, 202.868.4061

United States Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, released a series of secretarial orders on Monday that would expand more oil and gas leasing across U.S. coastlines. These orders were issued in the wake of multiple executive orders by President Trump to expand offshore drilling, along with an attempt to reverse coastal protections that President Biden secured for more than 625 million acres of ocean.  

Oceana Campaign Director Joseph Gordon released the following statement in response to the secretarial orders:  

“Part of what makes the United States great is our beautiful coasts and their thriving economies — all of which is now at risk. The Department of the Interior just announced its intention to rapidly expand offshore drilling, which would bring seismic blasting and destructive oil spills. Oceana calls on local and national lawmakers to stand up and oppose offshore drilling and spilling off their coasts.” 

Background   

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.  

For more information about Oceana’s campaign to prevent the expansion of offshore drilling in the United States, please click here.