Take Action in Support of No New Leases

Oil spills can have a dramatic impact on marine life and the people who depend on the water for their livelihoods or subsistence harvests.The Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 released 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound, killing thousands of animals and causing devastating financial hardships for fisherfolk and entire towns along the coast. 

The 5-Year Plan includes an option for one potential lease sale in the northern portion of the Cook Inlet of Alaska. The Cook Inlet’s watershed extends 192 miles from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska’s biggest city. It’s a biodiverse ecosystem that’s highly productive for plants and animals. Over half of the state’s population lives within the Cook Inlet Watershed, and Alaska Native Villages depend on the region to support traditional and subsistence lifestyles.

Alaskan communities are not only facing the risk of oil spills – they are also on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Alaska is experiencing melting glaciers which degrade water quality and thawing permafrost (frozen ground), which releases methane in a harmful feedback loop that accelerates climate change. These climate changes have resulted in damaged buildings and roads, food and drinking water insecurities, flooding, and a reduction of subsistence harvests.