# What the Defend our Coast Act Actually Does

This bill would permanently ban oil and gas drilling in the waters off the Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. Specifically, it prevents the federal government from issuing any new leases that would allow companies to explore for, drill for, or produce oil and gas in these ocean areas. The Mid-Atlantic planning area covers the ocean waters off the coasts of states like Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Right now, the government can lease these ocean areas to oil and gas companies, but this bill would take that option completely off the table. Once passed, no new drilling operations could be approved in these waters, no matter what future administrations might want to do. This is a permanent restriction, not a temporary pause—it would require another act of Congress to change it.

The practical impact is that coastal communities in the Mid-Atlantic region would be protected from the environmental and economic risks associated with offshore oil and gas development. This includes protection from potential oil spills, impacts on fishing industries, effects on marine life, and changes to coastal tourism. However, it also means the federal government wouldn't receive any revenue from leasing these waters to energy companies, and the oil and gas industry wouldn't have access to these particular ocean resources for development. The bill essentially locks in a decision that prioritizes coastal protection over energy development in this specific region.

Defend our Coast Act

McEachin, A. Donald

Defend our Coast Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or gas in the Mid-Atlantic planning area of the Outer Continental Shelf.