Azul Applauds Biden Administration Actions to Permanently Protect Coastal Waters from Offshore Drilling
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: January 6, 2025
CONTACT: media@azul.org
Azul Applauds Biden Administration Actions to Permanently Protect Coastal Waters from Offshore Drilling
Washington D.C. (January 6, 2025) – In response to President Biden’s announcement today to permanently ban new offshore oil and gas development in coastal U.S. waters –including the entire eastern U.S. Atlantic coast and the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico; the U.S. Pacific coast along California, Washington, and Oregon; and additional portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska– Azul’s Founder and Executive Director, Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, issued the following statement:
“We applaud President Biden for using his authority under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to permanently protect more than 625 million acres of federal waters from fossil fuel development.
Offshore drilling poses significant risks to coastal communities, public health, and ecosystems while expanding fossil fuel extraction undermines climate goals. The 2024 National Azul poll found that across political ideologies, Latino voters support action to ban offshore drilling and are even willing to pay more out of pocket to make it happen. This overwhelming public support provides an opportunity for incoming administrations to continue strengthening these provisions. The urgent need to mitigate climate change transcends political leadership. We thank President Biden for taking this significant and bold step to protect our ocean and solidify his climate legacy.”
The announcement was also applauded by California legislators like Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez (D – Long Beach) and Senator Monique Limón (D – Santa Barbara):
Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez (D – Long Beach)
“I am beyond thrilled that millions of acres of our oceans, from coast to coast, are now permanently protected from offshore drilling,” said Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez (D – Long Beach). “I extend my deepest gratitude to President Biden for taking this urgently needed action, and to the community groups like Azul, who advocated and worked with so much dedication to make these protections for our oceans a reality. This is a meaningful step toward combating climate change and ensuring families can enjoy California’s beautiful coastal waters for generations to come.”
Senator Monique Limón (D – Santa Barbara)
“Protecting our coastlines from the dangers of offshore drilling is an important step in our fight to protect the environment and move our state towards a sustainable energy future,” said Senator Monique Limón (D – Santa Barbara). “President Biden’s decision to guard coastal resources is commendable and will help avoid irreversible damage to our ecosystems.”
This past summer, Azul released results from the 2024 National Azul Poll, which found that regardless of party affiliation, a large majority of Latino voters support actions to ban offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, even if it means paying more per month for gasoline and household gas. The results show that:
• 78% of Latino voters agree that governments should protect the ocean, even if it means not allowing the extraction of fish, oil, gas, or other natural resources in conserved areas
• 72% of Latino voters would support actions to ban offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, and instead utilize renewable fuels like solar and wind
• 61% of Latino voters would support actions to ban offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, even if it means paying more per month for gasoline and household gas
Related Materials
• 2024 National Azul Poll: Latinos and the Ocean
• 2024 National Azul Poll: Latino voters want bold action on plastics – Azul Fact Sheet
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Azul is an ocean justice organization working with Latino communities to protect our blue planet. Founded in 2011, Azul has developed –and executed– campaigns that achieved groundbreaking ocean conservation policy victories at local, national and international levels.