From the Inbox: More Permits to Spill - Help us Contain Them

Protect our Gulf Coast shores and communities! Help fight illegal safety exemptions for Gulf Coast oil drilling Dear Friend, You aren't hearing the worst of it from the Gulf. When the federal agency charged with regulating U.S. oil exploration illegally exempted British Petroleum from planning for an accident in the Gulf, they effectively gave the company a permit to spill. And guess what? There are at least 18 more permits with the same tragic exemption active in the Gulf region right now. Earthjustice's most senior attorney in the region filed suit last week to kill the exemptions and force a review of all offshore drilling plans that don't comply with the law. But we need your support to see this critical fight through. Please make an urgent donation today to help us safeguard our Gulf Coast and the communities that depend on it. The wildlife and communities of our Gulf Coast states will suffer the most from this spill -- likely for years to come. In fishing-dependent communities, many have already lost their livelihoods. That's why -- in addition to our legal action -- Earthjustice is working with the Gulf Coast Fund to provide direct assistance for community-led first response initiatives. Twenty-five percent of your contribution to this emergency request will be sent to the Gulf Coast Fund to aid in their response to this tragedy. Make an emergency contribution today that will do double duty in the Gulf. BP's colossal spill is a stunning example of what can happen when government agencies get too cozy with the industries they are supposed to regulate. By law, the federal Minerals Management Service is supposed to require companies to provide worst-case oil spill scenarios and adequate safety measures before granting a permit to drill. Yet, incredibly, the agency waived these commonsense requirements in the Gulf. And now, coastlines and communities are paying the price as toxic oil begins to wash ashore. Help us put the brakes on irresponsibly exempted drilling permits lurking in the Gulf. And help us rush critical support to our friends at the Gulf Coast Fund in aid of their community-led response efforts. Please make your emergency donation today. No one saw this particular battle coming. But with your support we will turn the tide on irresponsible oil development and protect our nation's shorelines and the wildlife and communities that call them home. Thank you for all that you do. Sincerely, Trip Van Noppen President, Earthjustice P.S. Twenty-five percent of your contribution to this emergency request will be sped to the Gulf Coast Fund to aid in community-led efforts to respond to the spill. Please make your most generous possible donation today.