Washington, D.C. – In response to the news that the DC Circuit vacated Gulf Lease 257, cancelling all leases in the sale and requiring the Department of Interior to re-do their environmental analysis, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the following statement from Senior Government Affairs Advocate Ben Alexandro:

“The toxic oil and gas industry has polluted Gulf Coast communities and waters for far too long. This decision puts us one step closer to aligning the management of our public lands and waters with our climate and environmental justice goals. We applaud our friends at Earthjustice, Healthy Gulf, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and Friends of the Earth for bringing this case to the court and we look forward to continued efforts to move away from our reliance on fossil fuels once and for all. The health of our communities and the local economy is at stake.”

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Read the full press release from the litigants here. LCV signed several letters ahead of the sale, including one urging the Biden administration to cancel the lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, and another calling for an overhaul to the federal fossil fuels program and an end to all new leasing for fossil fuels both onshore and offshore. 

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