Cantwell: Oil and Gas Leasing Program Should Reflect Changing Energy Landscape and Environmental Priorities

Press Release

Today, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) highlighted the importance of planning leasing activities that will contribute in a meaningful way to the future of energy production, implementing reforms to oil spill and pollution protections, and ensuring the ability to safely drill in ecologically-sensitive areas.

The 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, establishes a schedule of proposed oil and gas lease sales that allow for the exploration and production of potential energy sources.

"As we have this discussion today, we have to keep in mind that the potential oil and gas resulting from this leasing program will not contribute to the energy market in a meaningful way for a decade or more. But, during this time we will see major changes in our energy landscape. So, we need to plan leasing activities in the context of what the future energy economy will look like."

Last month marked the sixth anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, which was a human, economic and ecological disaster. In addition to the damage caused by the oil, response activities during the cleanup process caused further ecological harm.

"We must incorporate new science about those damages into the decision-making process for oil spill response and into decisions about where we are going to allow oil and gas exploration and production," Sen. Cantwell said.

The final version of the offshore drilling safety regulations published in April addressed some of the primary causes of the Deepwater Horizon disaster by codifying advances made by industry experts and regulators since then.

"But we cannot stop there. Other recommendations by the Oil Spill Commission still need to be implemented by Congress -- and action be taken," Sen. Cantwell said.

The United States Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and oil spill experts have repeatedly testified that the United States is not prepared to handle a large oil spill like the Macondo or Exxon Valdez spills. Yet, oil spill tools and techniques have not been updated in decades. Despite outdated practices, oil and gas exploration and production is moving into deeper, more ecologically-sensitive regions, such as the Arctic.

"The Coast Guard has repeatedly stated that we do not have the ability to clean up oil in ice," Sen Cantwell said. "A spill in an ecologically-sensitive area can have dramatic consequences. I urge the Interior Department to consider the greater risk posed while operating in dynamic and challenging offshore environments."

The Arctic is a particularly challenging location to consider oil and gas activities. Unpredictable and extreme weather conditions, limited weather forecasting and incomplete navigation charting all pose a significant risk to oil exploration and should be considered before making leasing decisions.

"Lastly, I believe the Atlantic region was rightfully removed from the program due to strong local opposition, conflicts with other ocean uses and market dynamics," Sen. Cantwell said. "Interior should also work to prevent harmful seismic air gun testing in the area, which impacts marine mammals, sea turtles, birds and valuable fish species."

With Atlantic drilling off the table, marine species should not be subjected to seismic air gun testing which can cause hearing loss, habitat avoidance, beaching and potentially death.

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