The Interior Department released a plan in November to massively expand offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters — and nearly 5,000 people and organizations had something to say about it over the past two months.
Industry groups filed comments saying they would be happy to see more energy production on the outer continental shelf, while environmental groups raised concerns about massive oil spills that could wreck miles of coastline.
The Trump administration’s proposal would allow drilling off parts of California that have long been exempt from oil production, while also expanding drilling opportunities closer to Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. The plan would also offer new areas in the Arctic Ocean, north of Alaska.
The proposal from Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management lays out a timeline for a slate of oil and gas lease sales from 2026 to 2031. A comment period, which closed Friday, prompted about 4,900 submissions.
