Until a 30-year moratorium expired in 2012, drilling for oil off our Atlantic and Pacific coasts had been prohibited. But in 2010, the Obama administration decided to allow oil exploration and drilling off our Eastern Seaboard. It is estimated that about 5 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 38 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas lie beneath federal waters from Florida to Maine. Even so, past court decisions have upheld the right of a state to ban drilling if it threatens its coast or fisheries. Fishing and tourism advocates fear an oil spill or accident could irreparably damage coastal ecosystems. The memory of the damage resulting from BP’s 210 million-gallon Gulf oil spill in 2010 is still fresh in the minds of many. They claim these ecosystems have still not recovered, and say the deepwater drilling industry is still unprepared for the risks involved in endeavors of this magnitude.

Pending Legislation: H.R.1320 - COAST Anti-Drilling Act
Sponsor: Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ)
Status: House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources (Natural Resources)
Chairperson: Rep. Pete Stauber (MN)