Azul Joins State Leaders Urging Removal of California from Trump Administration’s Offshore Drilling Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 06, 2026
Media Contact: media@azul.org
Azul Joins State Leaders Urging Removal of California from Trump Administration’s Offshore Drilling Plan
SACRAMENTO (January 06, 2026) – Today, Azul Founder and Executive Director Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš joined Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay), CNRA Secretary Wade Crowfoot, members of the California State Legislature, and community advocates at a press conference at the California State Capitol, urging U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to remove California from the Trump Administration’s proposed expansion of offshore drilling.
The press conference highlighted actions taken since the Administration’s announcement and underscored the severe environmental and public health risks posed by offshore drilling along California’s coasts, which have not been touched by offshore drilling in decades.
Azul, an ocean justice organization working with Latino communities to protect our blue planet, joined state leaders in calling for California’s full exclusion from the proposed five-year offshore leasing plan.
“President Trump’s five-year offshore oil leasing plan is not just bad environmental policy; it is a textbook example of environmental injustice,” said Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder and Executive Director of Azul. “Including the California coast in this plan puts the health and livelihoods of millions of people at risk, particularly communities of color who are already overburdened by pollution and climate impacts. Our communities deserve clean air, clean water, and a future rooted in justice, not more fossil fuel pollution.”
California’s coastline supports thousands of jobs, vibrant ecosystems, and cultural traditions deeply rooted in coastal access and stewardship. Environmental advocates emphasized that offshore drilling puts these resources at risk while undermining the state’s leadership on climate action and environmental justice.
Latino communities—who make up nearly 40% of California’s population—have been clear in their opposition to offshore drilling. Azul’s 2024 National Poll on Latinos and the Ocean found strong support for protecting coastal waters and accelerating the transition to clean energy, reinforcing that ocean protection is widely viewed as a public health, environmental justice, and moral imperative.
Azul stands with state leaders and partners in urging the federal government to reject policies that sacrifice communities and ecosystems for expanded fossil fuel development.
Full statement from Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder and Executive Director of Azul:
“President Trump’s five-year offshore oil leasing plan is not just bad environmental policy, it is a textbook example of environmental injustice. Including the California coast in this plan puts the health and livelihoods of millions of people at risk, particularly communities of color who are already overburdened by pollution and climate impacts.
Increased air pollution, toxic discharges, and the risk of oil spills will directly affect frontline communities that already experience higher rates of asthma, heart disease, and other pollution related illnesses. Expanding offshore drilling means more harmful emissions, more contaminated water, and more preventable health crises in communities that have already been systematically ignored for many years.
Latino communities, which make up nearly 40% of California’s population, are paying close attention. Azul’s 2024 National Poll on Latinos and the Ocean shows overwhelming opposition to offshore drilling and strong support for protecting the coast and accelerating the transition to clean energy. Latino voters understand that a healthy ocean is a public health issue, an environmental justice issue, and a moral issue.
California’s coast should not be a sacrifice zone. We urge the administration to remove California waters from this plan and reject policies that deepen inequality and environmental harm. Our communities deserve clean air, clean water, and a future rooted in justice, not more fossil fuel pollution.”
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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.