Oil Rigs to Return to California’s Coast?
The Trump Administration has announced plans to open California waters to off-shore oil drilling.
Obviously, California residents are concerned.
Offshore oil drilling is terrible for the environment, and our economy. In 1969, 4.5 million gallons of oil spilled off the Coast of Santa Barbara inspiring the environmental movement and the creation of CEQA, NEPA and the EPA. As of 2010, 69% of Californians oppose off-shore oil drilling.
The Current Situation
The Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released a Draft Offshore Oil & Gas Leasing Program for 2019 – 2024 which, if approved, would open thousands of miles of U.S. coastline to oil drilling, including regions of the Pacific that have been protected for decades. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has opened a 60-day comment period for citizens to provide feedback on the proposal. The agency will also hold public hearings in affected communities in the coming weeks.
This draft proposes six new off-shore oil leases for California; two in Northern California, two in Central California and two in Southern California. The first lease will be sold in 2020 in Southern California, followed by two more sales in 2021, one in 2022 and two in 2023. There have been no new oil leases in the Pacific Region since 1984.
[1] http://www.ppic.org/press-release/in-big-shift-californians-oppose-offshore-oil-drilling/
What Can You Do?
Submit Public Comments:
Read the Draft Proposal (https://www.boem.gov/NP-Draft-Proposed-Program-2019-2024) and send the BOEM your comment.
Directions for Submitting Comments are available online.
https://www.boem.gov/National-Program-Comment/#submitcomments
Attend a Public Hearing
The BOEM will be having ONE public meeting in California on this proposal.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Sacramento Public Library (Tsakopoulos Library Galleria)
828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Take Action:
Contact Members of Congress most likely to initially support this bad idea. Tell them to oppose the Trump admin plans to drill in CA.
Contact the elected Members of Congress most likely to initially support this bad idea. Tell them to oppose the Trump admin plans to drill in CA. Calls and social media are very effective. If you live in their district, make that fact known.
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AD42 - Ken Calvert Phone: 202-225-1986 Fax: 202-225-2004 @KenCalvert
AD08 - Paul Cook Phone: 202-225-5861 Fax: 202-225-6498 @RepPaulCook
AD10 - Jeff Denham Phone: 202-225-4540 Fax: 202-225-3402 @RepJeffDenham
AD50 - Duncan Hunter Phone: 202-225-5672 Fax: 202-225-0235 @Rep_Hunter
AD04 - Tom McClintock Phone: 202-225-2511 Fax: 202-225-5444 @RepMcClintock
AD22 - Devin Nunes Phone: 202-225-2523 Fax: 202-225-3404 @DevinNunes
AD48 - Dana Rohrabacher Phone: 202-225-2415 Fax: 202-225-0145 @RepRohrabacher |
AD49 - Darrell Issa Phone: 202-225-3906 Fax: 202-225-3303 @DarrellIssa
AD25 - Steve Knight Phone: 202-225-1956 Fax: 202-226-0683 @SteveKnight25
AD01 - Doug LaMalfa Phone: 202-225-3076 Fax: 202-225-0852 @RepLaMalfa
AD23 - Kevin McCarthy Phone: 202-225-2915 Fax: 202-225-2908 @GOPLeader
AD39 - Ed Royce Phone: 202-225-4111 Fax: 202-226-0335 @RepEdRoyce
AD21 - David Valadao Phone: 202-225-4695 Fax: 202-225-3196 @RepDavidValadao
AD45 - Mimi Walters Phone: 202-225-5611 Fax: 202-225-9177 @RepMimiWalters |
Learn More:
Surfrider Foundation Fact Sheet: http://publicfiles.surfrider.org/NTA/Fact-Sheet-120817.pdf
National Resource Defense Council Fact Sheet https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/offshore.pdf
Wilderness Society Fact Sheet: https://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/Fact%20Sheet%20Drilling%20in%20America%20February%202011_1_5.pdf