Media Contact:
Rebekah Staub, Earthworks, rstaub@earthworks.org
Today, as the Maritime Administration (MARAD) extends its consideration for licensing Texas GulfLink, the second largest offshore oil export terminal in the United States, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) introduced the Nautical Oversight Safety and Protection of Inflammable Liquids by Law in the Sea (NO SPILLS) Act, to strengthen the review process for new offshore oil and gas projects.
The legislation follows MARAD’s April final approval of the deepwater port license for the Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT), another historically massive offshore oil export project proposed in the same area as GulfLink. GulfLink would have the capacity to export 1 million barrels of crude oil per day—and 3 million per day from a single coastal community when combined with SPOT—representing an unprecedented and unnecessary increase in export capacity that will cause irreversible climate harm and worsen air quality in a region already overburdened by severe air pollution.
Kelsey Crane, Senior Policy Advocate at Earworks, said:
“This bill is a critical step toward ensuring that the public’s voice and environmental justice are prioritized in making decisions about proposed oil and gas export projects. As frontline and Indigenous communities continue to endure climate-induced disasters, and the costs of oil and gas are rising, the Deepwater Port Act needs to effectively evaluate and mitigate all harmful impacts of expanding fossil fuel exports.”
