City Council opposition to the expansion of Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

O-1 FIRST IN COUNCIL June 2, 2025 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR NOLAN COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI COUNCILLOR WILSON WHEREAS: Climate change is primarily caused by the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from the combustion of fossil fuels, specifically oil (including gasoline), methane gas, and coal, and is resulting in heating of the atmosphere and the oceans; and WHEREAS: The impacts of climate change on Cambridge already are and will continue to be severe and threaten our health and safety, as documented in the Resilient Cambridge Climate Change Preparedness and Resiliency Plan, including: flooding, sea level rise, heat waves, and droughts and these effects will lead to substantial costs to taxpayers and Cambridge residents; and WHEREAS: In addition to the impact of burning fossil fuels, offshore oil and gas exploration, development, and drilling carry inherent risks, including oil spills, leaks, habitat destruction, and pollution, which could cause significant, long-term harm to the people of Cambridge and greater New England as well as local businesses, and cause irreparable harm to our natural environment; and WHEREAS: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is developing the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and has requested public input on whether to include new offshore leasing areas; now therefore be it RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record formally opposing the inclusion of any new offshore oil and gas leasing off the North Atlantic coast in the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and urges the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to prioritize the protection of coastal economies, communities, and ecosystems by excluding new offshore oil and gas leases from the final leasing program; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to submit this record as a public comment to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on behalf of the entire City Council; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to the Cambridge federal delegation on behalf of the entire City Council.