Environment advocates demand Biden administration halt oil and gas exports News
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Environment advocates demand Biden administration halt oil and gas exports

The Center for Biological Diversity and 289 additional organizations Thursday sent a legal petition to the Department of Transportation (DOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) demanding a stop to all new deepwater port infrastructure for oil and gas exports. The Biden administration has yet to comment on the petition.

Lauren Parker, an attorney for the Center’s Climate Law Institute, explained that “[e]xporting oil and gas unleashes climate calamity on the U.S. and the world. Biden needs to respect the science, the law and his own climate goals by keeping these dangerous fossil fuel projects off our coasts.”

In a press release, the Center for Biological Diversity announced the petition along with plans to host a rally at the MARAD Houston office, where more than 180 healthcare professionals are expected to deliver a letter demanding an end to deepwater port approvals in the interest of public health.

President of the nonprofit group Citizens for Clean Air and Water in Brazoria County, Texas Melanie Oldham commented:

Where I live in Brazoria County, we’re already experiencing extremely poor air quality from fossil fuel pollution, which is causing serious health harm. Now they’re proposing to build not one but two additional oil export projects. This is not in the interest of our community, and it’s not in the interest of the United States. These oil projects are not needed.

The petition comes as demonstrations and protests at the UN climate conference (COP27) in Egypt demand the cessation of all oil and gas exports worldwide.

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