The holidays come early for Big Oil as Congress agrees to lift crude oil export ban
WASHINGTON D.C. – Late last night, Republicans in Congress struck a deal to hand Big Oil and the Koch brothers their biggest legislative priority of the year and lift the longstanding ban on crude oil exports. With the ban lifted, estimates suggest that oil exports would rise to 1.8 million barrels per day by 2017.
Friends of the Earth Oceans and Vessels Program Director Marcie Keever offers the following statement in response:
This unacceptable repeal of the crude oil export ban will cause disastrous impacts from the fossil fuel industry. The repeal will increase fracking, putting communities at even greater risk of air and water pollution and earthquakes. The escalation in crude by rail and ship will increase the frequency of exploding trains and oil spills across the country and in international waters. And lifting the ban will open the floodgates to more crude oil extraction and the burning of petroleum products, which will worsen the impacts of climate disruption.
A permanent victory for Big Oil is a poor trade for a temporary lifeline for renewables. Dirty, dangerous fossil fuels need to be kept in the ground and liberalizing our export policy is exactly the wrong direction to take.
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Expert contact: Marcie Keever, (510) 900-3144, [email protected]
Communications contact: Kate Colwell, (202) 222-0744, [email protected]