Thursday, 28 March 2024

California Natural Resources secretary issues statement opposing offshore oil and gas proposal

SACRAMENTO – California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird has submitted formal comments on a federal proposal to renew offshore oil and gas development along the West Coast.

“It’s no surprise that many Californians are alarmed by a recent U.S. Department of Interior proposal to open our coastal waters to oil and gas exploration and production. Californians care deeply about our 1,100-mile coastline and public beaches, which draw millions of visitors a year. Public opposition to offshore drilling has steadily increased in California, and a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California in July showed it is at an all-time high,” Laird said in a written statement on the proposal.

“There is a reason no new offshore oil and gas leases have been allowed in California since the 1969 spill off the coast of Santa Barbara. Californians saw that devastation and acted locally to ensure the public would have a voice in local zoning for future onshore facilities related to offshore drilling,” he said.

"To meet our long-term energy needs, Californians have chosen clean, renewable energy and low carbon transportation fuels and technologies. We urge the Interior Department to withdraw our state from further consideration for renewed offshore oil and gas development,” Laird added.

Laird’s formal comments submitted to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on behalf of the Ocean Protection Council are available here.

A resolution in opposition to the proposal by the Ocean Protection Council is available here.

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