Oceana Welcomes Bill to Permanently Protect Florida’s Coasts from Offshore Drilling
Press Release Date: April 7, 2025
Location: Washington, D.C.
Contact:
Cory Gunkel, Megan Jordan | email: cgunkel@oceana.org, mjordan@oceana.org | tel: Cory Gunkel, 202.868.4061
A new bill introduced today would protect Florida’s coasts from offshore drilling forever. The Florida Coastal Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) would permanently prevent oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coasts.
“Oceana applauds Rep. Castor, Rep. Buchanan, Rep. Bilirakis, and Rep. Soto for advancing the bipartisan tradition of protecting Florida’s coasts,” said Oceana Campaign Director Joseph Gordon. “Oil spills can be economically devastating for communities that rely on clean oceans and healthy wildlife. This visionary bill will forever secure Florida’s treasured coastlines from the threat of offshore oil drilling, protecting an essential way of life for millions of people who call the Sunshine State home – and millions more who visit its shores every year.”
“For decades, Floridians—Democrats and Republicans alike—have stood united against offshore drilling, knowing it threatens the state’s tourism-driven economy, coastal communities, and way of life,” said Martha Collins, Executive Director for the environmental group Healthy Gulf. “The Florida Coastal Protection Act reflects this long-standing bipartisan opposition by ensuring that our beaches, fisheries, and marine ecosystems are not put at risk for the sake of short-term fossil fuel profits. Healthy Gulf supports efforts to secure permanent protections for Florida’s waters, and we urge Congress to uphold the will of the people by passing this vital legislation.”
“This important legislation will protect Florida’s environment, economy, climate, and way of life from the harmful effects of offshore oil and gas development,” said Katie Bauman, Florida Policy Manager, Surfrider Foundation. “The Surfrider Foundation urges members of Congress to support these and other bills to permanently prohibit new offshore drilling in U.S. waters.”
“The barrier islands, white sandy beaches and coastal marshes surrounding Florida’s shoreline provide necessary habitat for iconic reef fish, extensive shorebird populations, sea turtles and marine mammals like the Florida manatee,” said Ben Prater, southeast program director with Defenders of Wildlife. “This legislation will protect Florida’s coasts from the known, concrete risks of offshore drilling while moving to ensure a safer future for the endangered and imperiled coastal wildlife that call the state home.”
“As a state where our clean beaches are a central driver of our tourism economy, The Florida Coastal Protection Act is essential to protecting the people and places we love,” said Yoca Arditi-Rocha, Executive Director of The CLEO Institute. “We can avoid using dirty and dangerous fuels by transitioning to clean electric vehicles and investing in public transportation. This is how we guarantee clean water and air for all.”
“Florida’s beaches, bottlenose dolphins and manatees are too important to risk for more oil, but we’ve seen repeatedly that when we drill, we spill,” said Lisa Frank, executive director, Environment America. “The Florida Coastal Protection Act would conserve our waters and wildlife for generations to come by keeping offshore drilling out of Florida’s waters. Congress should pass this bill immediately and send it to President Trump’s desk.”
“These bills are critical, especially now. Protecting our environment and frontline communities from the dangers of offshore oil and gas development must be a top priority in the face of the escalating climate and biodiversity crises,” said Elizabeth Purcell, Environmental Policy Coordinator with Turtle Island Restoration Network. “Congress must act swiftly and support these bills to protect our oceans from further exploitation by the oil and gas industry, ensuring a healthy and safe planet for all.
“We are the generation that will live with the consequences of today’s energy choices. As young ocean advocates, we want to leave a better legacy for ocean health behind us than what has been left for us,” said Mark Haver, North America Regional Representative with Sustainable Ocean Alliance. “Congress has a moral responsibility to prevent new offshore oil and gas drilling leases. We will be counting on Congress to act on behalf of our ocean and future generations.”
“Our coasts are a source of life, livelihood, and recreation for coastal communities and the millions of visitors they see every year,” said Athan Manuel, Director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program. “They also support untold diverse wildlife and ecosystems that are put at risk by exploitation from the oil and gas industry. These bills provide much-needed critical protections for the health of our coastal communities and to ensure that future generations will get to enjoy the wonders of our oceans and beaches.”
“Permanently protecting Florida’s pristine Gulf coast from the threats of offshore drilling has had resounding support for years, regardless of political party,” said Earthjustice senior legislative representative Laura M. Esquivel. “From their robust tourism sector to their vital sustainable fishing industry, Floridians cherish the Gulf and want it free of toxic oil and gas. This bipartisan bill is proof that safeguarding a brighter future for Florida’s Gulf coast is within reach, and that Representatives Castor and Buchanan can make it happen.”
For more information about Oceana’s campaign to prevent the expansion of offshore drilling in the United States, please click here.
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%).
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. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, “The United States produced more crude oil than any other nation at any time for the past six years in a row.”
