Proposed Legislation Threatens Moratorium on Coastal Drilling

Congress will hear legislation in committee this week which could open Florida's coastal waters to natural gas drilling.

The "Outer Continental Shelf Natural Gas Relief Act," H.R. 4318 by Rep. John Peterson (R-Pennsylvania), would immediately repeal the coastal drilling moratorium for natural gas that currently protects our sensitive beaches, marine habitats and coastal marshes.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Use our email function to write your Congressperson. Use our suggested language or for greater effect, include your own thoughts, encouraging them to oppose H.R. 4318 and support the continued protection of our coastline. Florida's economy is linked with its ecology. Protecting our coastal systems preserves our way of life and our economic well-being.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Please Oppose H.R. 4318 and Protect Florida's Coastline

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Please oppose H.R. 4318, which would rescind the current moratorium protecting our coastlines from natural gas drilling.

This bill presents a slippery slope: exploratory drilling for natural gas also often discovers oil deposits. Nothing in H.R. 4318 prohibits these leases from being used as or converted to oil leases. In fact, the bill requires the Interior Secretary to clarifying procedures and requirements of a lessee should they discover oil deposits in the course of exploration for, or development of, natural gas.

We do not need to sacrifice special places like our coasts for natural gas when cheaper, quicker, and safer alternatives are available.

With 5% of the world population, the U.S. consumes about 25% of the world's energy. We simply cannot drill our way to energy independence. We must decrease our energy dependence by investing more time and money in clean energy solutions like improving energy efficiency and developing alternative energy capacity. This bill provides mechanisms for neither.

Especially in Florida, our economy's fate is tied to that of our ecology. Please oppose this challenge to our coastal resources.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
May 08, 2006

Background Information

The bipartisan Congressional moratorium on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has protected our sensitive coastlines for 24 years. H.R. 4318 would rescind this moratorium and allow leasing in the entire Lower-48 OCS for natural gas. It would also immediately repeal former President George H.W. Bush's and Bill Clinton's Executive OCS Leasing Withdrawals (otherwise currently scheduled to last until 2012) as they apply to natural gas leasing throughout the entire OCS.

In addition to lifting the moratorium for natural gas drilling, this legislation may open the door for oil drilling too. Exploratory drilling for natural gas also often discovers oil deposits. There is nothing in this bill to prevent "natural gas-only" leases from becoming oil leases.

We do not need to sacrifice special places like our coasts for natural gas when cheaper, quicker, and safer alternatives are available. The United States has about 5% of the world's population but consumes about 25% of the world's energy. We simply cannot drill our way to energy independence. We must decrease our energy dependence by investing more time and money in clean energy solutions like improving energy efficiency and developing alternative energy capacity. This bill provides mechanisms for neither.