ACTION ALERT: We Can’t Afford Another Oil Spill
Andrew Hartsig / Ocean Conservancy

(August 25, 2025) — This year marked 15 years since the Deepwater Horizon disaster—the most heart-wrenching example of just how quickly offshore drilling can go horribly wrong. The rig exploded about 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana, taking the lives of 11 oil workers and releasing an estimated 210 million gallons of oil into the ocean.

Dangerous offshore oil pursuits are nothing new—the oil and gas industry has conducted drilling operations in our ocean for more than 100 years, and the consequences have been increasingly devastating.

Accidental blowouts and oil spills cause the most high-profile impacts, but even when offshore oil projects go as planned, they still harm our ocean, releasing chronic pollution into both the air and sea. Even discontinued equipment can cause damage, as unplugged wells can release harmful emissions and leak, and abandoned pipelines are left to deteriorate on the seafloor.

Extreme weather events like hurricanes only increase this risk of harm. With 55,000 wells drilled in federal waters over the past 80 years, the potential for destruction is increasingly alarming.

Treasured marine wildlife aren’t alone in feeling the destructive impact of offshore drilling—people and economies are at risk, too. Leaders should protect our communities by working to prevent spills and phasing out risky offshore drilling. Alarmingly, we’re seeing precisely the opposite.

The United States Department of the Interior recently requested public comment as it prepares a plan for new offshore oil and gas lease sales. Instead of discontinuing high-risk offshore leasing, the department is considering opening even more waters to dangerous drilling.

At the same time, they are proposing other unnerving changes, including reducing core environmental protections and safety protocols designed to protect the sea and American citizenry alike. With more than 1,500 unused wells sitting in the ocean, representatives from both sides of the aisle have expressed that opening more waters to lease sales is a risk that is unwarranted.

ACTION: The good news? There is still power in our hands, and there is still time to change course. The public engagement process allows us to demand that the Department of the Interior take action to protect our ocean from expanded offshore drilling

For Our Ocean,
Andrew Hartsig
Senior Director, Arctic Program, Ocean Conservancy