Rep. Carbajal reintroduces bill to ban future drilling off California’s coast
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Congressmember Salud Carbajal reintroduced a bill on Feb. 24 to permanently ban future offshore oil and gas leasing through the Department of the Interior on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California.
The California Clean Coast Act, Carbajal's first bill introduced as a member of Congress in 2017, has now been reintroduced as the new Republican House majority has tied the expansion of offshore drilling and the sale of public lands for exploitation to executive use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
"When I first came to Congress six years ago, I pledged to our Central Coast communities that I would fight back against Big Oil’s appetite for drilling off our shores and in our public lands,” said Rep. Carbajal. “Back then, it was because then-President Donald Trump had started lining his Cabinet with oil and gas lobbyists and putting everything from our California shores to our national parks to monuments on Big Oil’s shopping list."
Carbajal continued, “Unfortunately, there is now a new Republican majority in the House aiming to return to that agenda – all while claiming to have the best interest of our working families in mind. Just a few weeks ago, House Republicans forced through a bill that would force the President to put new public lands up for auction.”
“From the 1969 blowout at Platform A, to the 2015 pipeline spill along the Gaviota Coast, to the more recent spill in Orange County, the California Coast has suffered the devastating effects of offshore oil development on our communities and those who live, recreate, and work here. We know that when it comes to offshore oil drilling, it is not a question of if – but when – another spill will devastate our beaches and ocean waters," detailed Linda Krop, Chief Counsel of the Environmental Defense Center.
Patagonia spokesman J.J. Huggins explained, “We could have built our company anywhere, and one of the reasons we remained here is because of this region’s world-class surf breaks. Our coastline supports outdoor recreation, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and other local businesses."
The legislation was reintroduced in the House by Rep. Carbajal alongside: Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Ami Bera (CA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Judy Chu (CA-28), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Adam Schiff (CA-30), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Scott Peters (CA-50), Katie Porter (CA-47), Mark Takano (CA-39), Juan Vargas (CA-52).
