Washington, D.C. — As the Trump administration today announces a new five-year offshore oil drilling plan, Christy Goldfuss, vice president for Energy and Environment Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The Trump administration’s plan to increase offshore drilling will cause more oil spills and deadly accidents—period. Eliminating basic drilling safety rules while pushing drill rigs into dangerous environments is arrogant, foolhardy, and will result in oil washing ashore from South Carolina and Florida to California and the Arctic.
The unavoidable economic and environmental damages of oil spills are why 140 Atlantic and Pacific coastal communities have now passed bipartisan resolutions asking that oil rigs be kept away from their shores. In the Arctic, oil companies have proven—by wasting billions of dollars—that the region’s extreme weather, fragile environment, and dangerous conditions make it unsuitable for drilling. Americans will need to speak up, speak out, and stop the Trump administration’s toxic recipe for oil spills.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.