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Thank you!
Surfrider LA thanks everyone who submitted comments against the Trump administration’s dangerous offshore drilling plan. Over 270,000 people across the country provided feedback with the vast majority urging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to protect all U.S. coasts from new oil and gas development!
One public comment period closed, but the battle continues. Alarmingly, BOEM launched a new comment period inviting the public (i.e., oil and gas companies) to state specific areas off Central and Southern California should be opened for oil and gas drilling. This is the clearest signal yet of the serious threat facing the California coast and Southern California in particular.
Stand Together
On July 23, all West Coast governors submitted formal opposition to these threats. They highlighted both the environmental and economic dangers of all offshore drilling. California's coastal economy alone, "supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and generates over $44 billion annually," which offshore drilling risks unnecessarily. As of 2024, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data shows that California has been the site of at least four of the most significant oil spills in U.S. waters. Each spill is disastrous for marine life and ecosystems and can take decades or more to remediate.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has also submitted comments against offshore drilling - emphasizing the state's authority to protect its coastal areas. According to the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), three-quarters of the 11 million acres of public waters previously leased to the U.S. fossil fuel industry are currently unused. There is no need for new offshore drilling.
Act Now
1) Before February 26, 2026 - Submit your comment to BOEM stating that, "The entire Central & Southern California Planning Areas must be protected from oil & gas leasing due to conflicts with human uses, ecological areas, and cultural resources."
BOEM Comment Period: Central California OCS Oil & Gas Leasing (deadline is 2/26/26)
BOEM Comment Period: Southern California OCS Oil & Gas Leasing (deadline is 2/26/26)
Surfrider’s Action Alert to Congress against New Offshore Drilling
2) Contact your members of Congress to urge them to stop the Trump administration's dangerous offshore drilling plan from being finalized.
Public comment is an important part of the democratic process where individuals an organizations have the opportunity to influence government actions. Surfrider urges everyone to take further action to stop new offshore drilling. With myriad challenges posing threats to our waters, it is imperative that we prevent the development of new hazards.