"Americans already believe that their Congress lacks the guts to stand up to Big Oil. This vote proves they are absolutely right," said Carl Pope, executive director of the grassroots conservation organisation the Sierra Club.

"They billed this as 'energy week,' but sadly, the only idea they could muster is sticking more oil and gas rigs off our coasts," Pope said.

The House voted 232 to 187 on Thursday to approve a bill allowing oil and gas exploration firms to drill in previously protected coastal waters.

The main sponsor, Representative Richard Pombo of California, said it was a crucial step in opening up new domestic energy sources at a time of soaring oil and gas prices.

The measure had been firmly opposed by representative groups that warned of the dangers of spillage and the impact on marine habitats.

There has also been White House criticism of a provision in the bill that would divert a large portion of royalties from the exploratory drilling from federal coffers to those of coastal state governments.

The Office of Management and Budget said the administration of President George W. Bush, while supporting lifting the moratorium, "strongly opposes" the revenue-sharing provision which could have a long-term impact on the federal budget deficit.

The non-partisan action group Taxpayers for Common Sense said the legislation would cost taxpayers billions in lost revenue.

"With the federal debt mounting and oil and gas prices nearing record highs, ... altering the federal earnings on our natural resource royalties does not make fiscal sense," the group said in a statement.

As passed by the House on Thursday, the bill replaces the existing national moratorium with a tiered system.

The moratorium line would stop at 100 miles (160 kilometers). From 50-100 miles, states would have to actively oppose drilling by passing new legislation every five years. Drilling within 50 miles of the coast might be allowed if the state petitions the Interior Department.

Voting on the bill was largely along party lines, and the result was swiftly condemned by senior Democrats as fiscally and environmentally irresponsible.

"The Republican answer to our energy crisis is to drill in protected areas and provide tax breaks to Big Oil," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

"In my home state of California, we have learned from bitter experience that a large oil spill can cause long-lasting damage to the marine ecosystem at all levels, including seabirds, marine mammals and fisheries," Pelosi said.

The bill now goes to the US Senate, which is currently considering separate legislation that would open up a far more limited but still substantial area for exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Karen Wayland, legislative director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, argued that both bills ignored the fact that oil and gas companies already have access to more than 40 million acres (162 square kilometers) of offshore leases, of which fewer than seven million are in production.

Lifting the moratorium "just threatens beaches and ocean life in many sensitive areas all across the nation," Wayland said.

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