Dear Secretary Kempthorne,
I am writing to oppose the Department of the Interior proposal to open our nation's environmentally sensitive coasts to offshore drilling. Specifically, I urge you to rescind the Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012 (FR Doc. E7-8339).
At a time when we should be pursuing clean, renewable energy sources, the Bush/Cheney Administration has once again sought answers in a dirty drilling plan that will harm wildlife and speed up global warming.
Drilling rigs spew air pollution and toxic mercury emissions that can poison marine wildlife. The very loud airgun explosions from seismic exploration can cause whales to strand themselves on beaches and die.
Increased offshore drilling raises the specter of another cataclysmic oil spill that could wreck the beautiful Virginia and Florida beaches where millions of Americans live or vacation.
Please stay true to your department's mission to protect our nation's natural and cultural resources, and rescind this plan to drill off the coasts of Alaska, Virginia and Florida.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
