As early as this week, the United States House of Representatives may vote on H.R. 4239, deceptively called the “SECURE American Energy Act.” This bill contains massive giveaways to the fossil fuel industry. It would make it easier for companies to use our public lands and offshore areas for fossil fuel extraction while eliminating provisions designed to protect the public, wildlife, and the environment. Simply put, it seeks to allow fossil fuel companies to make enormous profits by destroying the areas that are supposed to belong to the American public. It would prioritize oil and gas development above all else.

Under H.R 4239, our national parks could be sold off to fossil fuel companies. The bill would give states —  which are already under immense pressure and influence by industry — the power to decide how to use federal lands in their borders. H.R 4239 also creates loopholes for oil and gas companies —  for example, it would eliminate the requirement for drilling permits and prevent the Bureau of Land Management from regulating hydraulic fracturing on public lands. These changes would mean not only more oil and gas extraction on public lands but less oversight and protections for the public and wildlife.

H.R 4239 would also create shortcuts for companies that want to drill for oil and gas in offshore areas. It would change the current system of managing offshore areas to allow drilling in more areas and minimize public input, while also speeding up the process of approving dangerous seismic airgun blasting. It would also make it easier for oil and gas companies to get permits for activities that could hurt or kill marine mammals and let companies that kill migratory birds in oil spills off the hook. It even would nullify drilling safety protections created in response to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. All of these provisions mean fossil fuel companies would be able to drill in more places and save money by not having to comply with vital regulations, while our coastal economies and marine ecosystems pay the price.

H.R. 4239 is nothing more than a fossil fuel industry wishlist, and it could lead to dire consequences for our national parks, coastal communities, and marine areas, all while further exacerbating climate change. Call your Representative at (202) 224-3121 and follow up with a letter to speak out against this fossil fuel bonanza on our lands and waters!