Drilling for offshore oil and gas is a dirty and dangerous process from beginning to end. From seismic surveying and building infrastructure to drilling and transporting oil and gas, every step disrupts ocean wildlife and harms the fragile systems that keep the ocean healthy. The Monterey Bay Aquarium strongly opposes this federal plan to reopen U.S. waters to offshore drilling.
On February 27, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced their notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement for the Northern, Central, and Southern California Planning Areas launching a new 30-day public comment period that will close on March 30. This comment period is related to but separate from BOEM's ongoing development of the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which received public comments from November 24, 2025 to January 23, 2026. That proposed program for oil and gas lease sales in federal waters off California, the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and the Arctic Ocean is not finalized.
This new comment period is another move by the federal government to expedite the process to expand offshore drilling off the California coast. What once felt impossible—new offshore oil and gas drilling off California—is now a real and urgent threat. Despite overwhelming public opposition, lease sales could begin as early as next year. Using your voice is important now and will continue to be needed throughout this Oil and Gas Leasing Program process.