UPDATE (3/8) The Senate today voted to reject the Vitter amendment! Thanks to all of you who reached out to your Senators!

Senator David Vitter (R-LA) is pushing an amendment (#1535) to the Transportation Bill that would vastly expand offshore oil & gas development in U.S. waters. The amendment would put into place the 2010-2015 drilling plan proposed by President George W. Bush in 2008, while removing requirements for environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In effect, the amendment would extend drilling off the Virginia, California and Florida coasts as well as Bristol Bay and Cook Outlet in Alaska. As the number of proposed amendments to the Transportation Bill swells into the hundreds, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is trying to eliminate the focus on issues not germane to transportation and bring the bill to the floor for a vote. The Surfrider Foundation has joined other environmental and ocean recreation groups in urging the Senate to reject the Vitter amendment. Now is an excellent time to contact your Senators to tell them you support protecting our coasts from offshore drilling!

The Surfrider Foundation today submitted comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on the Draft 2012-2017 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Programmatic EIS. These comments were based on Surfrider’s Policy on Offshore Drilling, as well as the engagement/ perspective of our U.S. chapters in this issue. Click here to read the full comment letter to BOEM. Some highlights of Surfrider’s comment letter include:

• The Surfrider Foundation strongly supports the Department’s decision to exclude the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from the proposed 2012-2017 leasing plan

• Surfrider agrees with BOEM’s approach to focus the majority of lease sales in areas with current active leases (e.g., Western and Central Gulf of Mexico); however, we oppose issuing lease sales in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

• Surfrider has strong concerns about plans to potentially lease off Alaska, given the likely challenges with spill prevention and response in the harsh and remote ocean environment

• The Draft PEIS does not sufficiently describe and analyze the impacts of oil spills

• The PEIS needs to better consider the role that renewable energy and conservation can play

Surfrider Foundation’s full comments to BOEM

The House of Representatives today passed HR 1231 “Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act”, the third in a trio of bills that would accelerate and expand offshore drilling in the United States. HR 1231 would mandate drilling in new places that have not been drilled before, including the north & central Atlantic, southern California, and offshore Alaska, including Bristol Bay. It would also require a doubling of offshore domestic oil production over current levels by 2027.

Fortunately, these proposals would also have to pass the Senate – where opposition to offshore drilling is stronger – before they could become law. However, Sen. Mitch McConnell has already introduced S. 953, setting the stage for a heated debate on this issue. Sen. McConnell’s bill, while not identical to the House bills, takes the same reckless approach to approving new drilling and limiting environmental and safety reviews of lease sales and drilling permits, leaving oversight even weaker than it was before the Gulf oil disaster.

More than ever, now is a critical time to call your senator to ask him/ her to support protecting our coasts from drilling. Calling your federal representative is the most effective way to have your voice heard. Surfrider will also be launching an action alert in the next week to help you contact your senator. Stay tuned and thanks for taking action!!