Washington, D.C. — In response to the Department of Interior’s announcement of the Program for the 2024-2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, the League of Conservation Voters and Chispa Texas released the following statements:

“It’s disappointing that the Biden-Harris administration issued a final five-year plan that includes new leasing that could lead to decades more fossil fuel dependency and climate pollution,” said America Fitzpatrick, LCV Conservation Program Director. “While three lease sales is fewer than what was initially proposed and fewer than previous five-year plans, LCV remains firmly opposed to Congress tying the expansion of offshore wind development to more oil and gas leasing off our coasts. We stand with frontline and coastal communities in calling on the Biden-Harris administration to do everything they possibly can to protect our coasts, our health, and our climate” 

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“Our country is feeling the impacts of increased costs as we continue the practice of exporting our natural resources, while placing our coastal communities in harm’s way through more offshore drilling,” said Elida Castillo, Chispa Texas Program Director. “We bear the brunt of the impacts to our health and environment. We need more protections that will mitigate the warming of our oceans, rising sea levels, stronger hurricanes, and the decimation of our aquatic ecosystems, which sustain our fishing and tourism economies. Public waters belong to the public, and we should do more to protect our oceans and communities and prioritize investments in proven renewable energies and conservation.”

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