A day after President Trump’s Executive Order designed to expand coal, oil, and gas leasing on public lands, Congressman Jared Huffman reintroduced the Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act, a bill that would make the Arctic Ocean off-limits to any future drilling proposals by prohibiting any new or renewed leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas or any other minerals in the Arctic Ocean Planning Areas of the Outer Continental Shelf.
“Dangerous oil spills are the reality of offshore drilling, and if we allow drilling in the Arctic Ocean, it is only a matter of time before environmental catastrophe strikes,” said Rep. Huffman. “We must permanently protect the Arctic Ocean for future generations.”
According to Huffman, this legislation:
- Acknowledges that global climate change is occurring due largely to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and will continue to pose ongoing risks and challenges to the people and the government of the United States;
- Recognizes that in order to manage the Arctic Ocean for the best interest of the people, the United States must, in part, keep fossil fuels in the ground to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change;
- Prohibits new leasing for the exploration, development or production of oil, natural gas or any other minerals in the Arctic Ocean; and
- Prohibits the renewal of any existing leases for the same.
The Department of the Interior estimates a 75 percent chance of one or more large oil spills as a result of drilling in the Arctic Ocean. Should an oil spill occur, between 44% and 62% of spilled crude oil would remain in open water or broken ice longer than 30 days, neither dispersing nor evaporating.
Source: US Congress
