ACTION ALERT: Hold Oil Producers Accountable
Andrew Hartsig / Ocean Conservancy

(August 19, 2024) — I’m going to level with you: I’m upset right now. Tragically, there’s been yet another oil disaster in our ocean. This time, an oil spill from an “inactive” and deteriorating offshore drilling platform was discovered off the coast of Texas, just miles from popular beaches and fishing spots.

This latest spill is an example of how idle or abandoned oil platforms and wells throughout the Gulf of Mexico pose a serious risk to the ocean, wildlife and coastal communities. By law, oil and gas companies are required to clean up after themselves once production ceases. However, they often find ways to evade that responsibility, leaving towns, taxpayers and the ocean environment to foot the bill for the giant messes they leave behind.

But here’s the hopeful news: We can hold oil companies accountable by supporting decommissioning accountability efforts like the Plug Offshore Wells Act.

Decommissioning is a critical part of the end-of-life oil and gas process. We’ve seen just how dangerous it is to leave oil and gas infrastructure in the water. Not only is it important to transition away from the production and use of fossil fuels, we must ensure that the cleanup is done—and done properly—as offshore oil and gas operations close.

The Plug Offshore Wells Act helps taxpayers, the public and Congress understand the status of decommissioning in federal waters and holds oil companies and regulators accountable.

In federal waters alone, the offshore oil industry has already littered our ocean floor with more than 18,000 miles of disused pipeline. To make matters worse, there is a significant decommissioning backlog—as of last June, more than 75% of idle or end-of-lease structures in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico were overdue for decommissioning.

ACTION: We can avoid future oil disasters by supporting legislation like the Plug Offshore Wells Act. Take action now and urge Congress to pass this bill.

Andrew Hartsig is the Senior Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Arctic Program