Graves, Carter ask Congress to end ‘ridiculous’ disparity in state waters along Gulf Coast

By Elise Plunk
Contributing Writer

(lailluminator.com) — U.S. Reps Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, and Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, are asking Congress to expand state waters along the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coast further into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Offshore Parity Act of 2024 would extend Louisiana state authority from 3 nautical miles to nine miles offshore into the Gulf of Mexico, “giving all Gulf states the same nine miles of energy, fisheries and other resources to manage,” Graves said in a press release.

Their proposal would alter the Submerged Lands Act of 1953, which extended state waters nine nautical miles into the Gulf but only for Texas and Florida.

“I’m not sure who was negotiating for us generations ago, but that is just ridiculous,” Graves said.

“This bill will empower us to manage our energy resources, protect our coastal communities, and strengthen our fisheries,” Carter said in a statement. “This is a critical step toward equality, ensuring Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have the same authority over their waters as Texas and Florida.”

The extension of state waters into the Gulf will lead to additional energy production revenue that will boost coastal restoration projects, Graves added.

The bill comes just as a new presidential administration looks to ramp up fossil fuel production dial back nationally on offshore wind power.

This article originally published in the December 2, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.