In 1981, Congress protected America's coasts, beaches, and marine ecosystems from the threats of oil and gas development by adopting the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Moratorium. The moratorium prevents the leasing of America's coastal waters for fossil fuel development. In the nearly thirty years since, Congress and successive presidents have recognized the value of America's coasts and have continued to ban new drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
But now Senator John McCain and President Bush are calling on Congress to lift these important protections. Drilling our coasts will do nothing to lower gas prices, it will only line the coffers of Big Oil, which continues to break record profits. And it will threaten to shut down our favorite beaches with oil spills, pollution, and invasive infrastructure.
