The Trump administration’s proposal to dramatically ramp up offshore oil drilling could lead to 4,232 oil spills, dumping 12.1 million gallons of oil into ocean waters, according to a new report. analysis By the Center for Biological Diversity.
The Center’s leakage analysis of Trump’s 2026-2031 draft leasing plan is based on historical data and federal records.
“Our analysis shows that Trump’s absurdly reckless drilling plan could cause thousands of new oil spills, threatening nearly every American coast,” said Christine Munsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “No one wants beaches and marine life covered in crude oil, but that will be our future if Trump’s plan goes ahead. Every new drilling project gets us into decades of trouble, and our wildlife and coastal economies will suffer the most.”
Today’s analysis assumes average spill rates for platforms and pipelines based on data for the period 1974-2015. This does not include catastrophic events such as the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, which released more than 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump Draft plan It calls for up to 34 offshore oil and gas lease sales over the next five years. It could open up to 1.27 billion acre-feet of federal waters to drilling off California, Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. This amount is much larger than what previous administrations offered. This is in addition to 36 offshore oil lease sales under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Center-specific oil spill calculations and estimates are available for each planning area here Frequently asked questions for forecasts are: here.
According to the administration’s own estimates, the increase in fossil fuel extraction and burning could also add as much greenhouse gas pollution to the atmosphere as burning nearly 200 billion pounds of coal.
Many endangered species are at risk due to increased drilling:
Pacific Ocean
Sea otterSea otters, known for their thick, furry coats, once inhabited the entire Pacific coast of the United States, all the way from Alaska to Baja California. Sea otters are particularly vulnerable to oil spills that cover their fur, destroying their natural insulation against the cold. Otters already face oil spill threats from existing offshore drilling near the southern part of their current range, and expanding drilling could halt recovery and… Resubmission efforts.
The southern resident killer whale: These killer whales spend most of their time in the Pacific Northwest, but regularly travel as far south as Monterey, California. An oil spill in Northern California could devastate this genetically distinct group, which numbers just 74 individuals.
Blue whale: The largest seasonal gathering of these massive mammals occurs in the Santa Barbara Channel off California, an area already at risk from oil spills from drilling operations located nearby. Blue whale numbers have been steadily increasing since whaling wiped out an estimated 99% of the species, but they still have a long way to go.
Pacific leatherback sea turtle: As old as dinosaurs, these turtles migrate all the way from Indonesia and then along the west coast to feed on jellyfish and other gelatinous prey. Leatherbacks are some of the heaviest reptiles on Earth, and their populations are already declining due to current threats such as entanglement in fishing gear.
Gulf of Mexico
Black-capped petrelThese far-ranging seabirds feed in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast, returning to raise their young in Hispaniola, the island of Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. It is also called diablotin, Or “little devil”, because of their terrifying night calls, the number of petrels has declined rapidly, and oil spills can kill food sources that fly hundreds of miles to find. In addition, artificial lighting from offshore oil platforms disorients migratory seabirds and even causes them to collide with the platforms.
Rice whale: The endangered Rice’s whale lives in the Gulf region year-round, and only about 50 whales remain. Scientists estimate that the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster killed about 20% of its population, and another major spill could wipe them out completely. As pelagic swimmers, whales are also vulnerable to ship strikes. Seismic blasting used by the oil and gas industry disrupts their ability to communicate, find mates, and care for their young.
Kemp’s ridley sea turtle: Beaches along the bay are prime nesting sites for these turtles, which have rebounded from near extinction thanks to breeding programs and conservation interventions. But it remains at high risk, and its continued recovery depends on the Gulf’s healthy ecosystem, which could easily be disrupted by further oil spills.
Alaska
Bowhead whale: Arctic oil drilling and climate change are the two main threats to cold-water giants. Bowhead whale populations have come back from the brink thanks to a ban on commercial whaling, but the whales are now facing habitat change due to melting sea ice.
Pacific walrus: The center has been fighting to protect the endangered species of the fat-tusked walrus for nearly two decades. Exploratory offshore drilling in the Chukchi Sea posed such a threat to walrus habitat that the Center and its allies blocked the project. Trump’s plan revives the threat.
Cook inlet of the white whaleThe number of these small belugas is only about 330 whales. It faces threats from current oil and gas extraction, commercial shipping and climate change. The Cook Inlet area is already crowded with industry and at risk of spills, and drilling intensification could be fatal to these beluga whales.
Source link
