I was honored to represent Surfrider Foundation Texas recently on a trip to Washington DC to meet with officials in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and voice my concerns about the Trump administration's 5-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing. I was part of a well-rounded team consisting of business representatives from Florida and California, Surfrider's Ocean Protection Senior Manager Pete Stauffer and Senior Environmental Director Zach Plopper, Florida Keys Chapter Chair Katie Cleek, and Louisiana Beach Guardian Program lead Aloe Lee. Our meeting with BOEM's Deputy Assistant Secretary and two other staffers went well, and we presented great arguments as to why more offshore drilling is not needed and described the potential impacts to businesses, communities and the coastal environment if oil spills occur. People representing chambers of commerce, a whale watching and fishing charter business, an aquarium and a scuba dive charter gave concrete examples of the financial stakes.
For my part, I spoke about seeing dolphins, sea turtles, shorebirds and other marine creatures when I'm surfing and fishing in the Gulf, and how they need clean habitats to survive. I also spoke of my past experience working in the oil industry and doubts that it is better prepared if a spill like Deepwater Horizon happens again. Having sailed across the Gulf, I've seen stormy conditions that would postpone or interfere with spill response and am concerned that if new leasing is done in the Western Gulf, the likelihood of a spill reaching the Coastal Bend will be much higher. I didn't have time to bring it up, but I'm also concerned about the harm that whales and dolphins will experience from seismic airgun blasting during exploration.
The BOEM representatives listened attentively and assured us that all public comments are being considered and said there will be several future public comment periods as the plan moves forward. Pete Stauffer asked questions about the proposed merger of BOEM and BSEE (the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Management) and the timeline for the 5-year plan, but we did not receive much further insight into either topic.
While in DC, we also met with others opposing increases in offshore leases and strategized about next steps. Overall, everyone in our Surfrider crew felt the trip was a success, and it was rewarding to have the opportunity to lend my voice to the effort.
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Lend your voice to the cause by sending a message to federal officials calling for no new leases for new offshore oil and gas drilling: https://surfrider.advocacyai.com/action/protectourcoastsfromoffshoreoildrilling
