Dear Editor:

If U.S. oil is vital for “energy independence” why are two million barrels a day being exported?

For decades, Big Oil and its political pawns have claimed that their projects are needed because oil is vital to America's energy independence and national security. Yet, more oil and gas is being exported from the U.S. than ever before.

Voters and taxpayers should call for eliminating billions of dollars annually in unfair, unjustified government subsidies for oil and gas projects that serve the profits of polluting dirty energy that worsens climate catastrophes.

Export facilities cause their own environmental damage, too. Pipelines that carry oil across thousands of miles to coastal ports impose serious risks of leaks along corridors that cross rivers, wetlands, water supplies, and pristine natural areas. Worse yet, these hazards to the public are subsidized by U.S. taxpayers to support an industry that’s notorious for pollution and record-breaking campaign spending to coerce costly political favors.

David C. Kyler

Center for a Sustainable Coast