Action Alerts

Stop this ultra-deepwater drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico

What's At Stake

Fifteen years ago, BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico became the worst marine oil spill in U.S. history. BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig suffered a blowout and loss of well control while drilling a well in about 5,000 feet of water. The explosion killed 11 people and released over 3 million barrels of oil over 87 days that blanketed over 1,300 miles of shoreline. It wiped out horrific numbers of fish, birds, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, and other marine life. It also devastated the regional economy, eliminating tens of thousands of jobs and cratering everything from local tourism to commercial fishing.

Now, BP is asking the federal government to allow it to drill even deeper for oil in the Gulf of Mexico with its proposed Kaskida drilling project. Tell the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that this project istoo dangerous to proceed.

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Conditions surrounding the proposed Kaskida project make it potentially more dangerous than the drilling operation that led to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Kaskida is in deeper water where equipment will have to withstand higher pressures and temperatures. It will utilize newer technology and will be moving forward on the heels of company layoffs that could impact operational safety.

For years, Earthjustice has advocated for stronger protections for Gulf communities from the harms of fossil fuel development in the region.

Past deepwater drilling incidents show us what is at stake. This proposed project poses significant threats to American national security, along with the risks posed to the marine, coastal, and human environment.

In addition to significant oil spill risks, the federal government has failed to consider the impacts of the Kaskida project on already overburdened Gulf communities, sensitive deep-sea ecosystems, and imperiled marine life such as Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and the critically endangered Rice’s whale, whose population was decimated by Deepwater Horizon.

Join Earthjustice in stopping this reckless project from moving forward. Given the extreme conditions of this new development and the threats to the human, marine, and coastal environments, the federal government must deny BP its permit for the development of Kaskida.

Dark clouds of smoke and fire emerge as oil burns during a controlled fire in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dark clouds of smoke and fire emerge as oil burns during a controlled fire in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg / U.S. Navy)

14 Days Remain

Delivery to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

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Your Actions Matter

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You level the playing field.

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They may be hearing from industry lobbyists left and right, but hearing the stories of their constituents — that’s your power.

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Throughout each of the public comment periods we alert you to, Earthjustice’s attorneys are researching and writing in-depth, technical comments to submit — detailing how the regulation could and should be stronger to protect the environment, our communities, and our planet.

We need you to join us — your specific experiences, knowledge, and voice are crucial to add to the Administrative Record through the comment periods.

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It’s the law.

Federal agencies must pause what they’re doing and ask for — and consider — your comment. Read more.

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