Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) joined a coalition of local, regional, and national environmental and community groups in urging for action to stop deepwater port terminals proposed throughout the Gulf of Mexico, off the Texas and Louisiana coasts. TIRN was just one of over 25 groups that pledged their name to this effort.
A letter was sent to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging them to direct the United States Maritime Administration and United States Coast Guard to deny the Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT), Texas GulfLink, Blue Marlin, and Bluewater Texas VLCC crude export projects, and all other pending deepwater port fossil fuel export licensing applications.
These projects would drive global export of massive quantities of domestically-extracted crude oil, and would export pollution. Additionally, fossil fuel dependence would continue for decades, leading to less advancement in transport and processing infrastructure.
To prevent pollution, reliance on fossil fuel, and technological stagnation, the signers are also requesting a meeting with agency representatives to further discuss pending deepwater port applications and licensing processes.