Dear Senator Jackson
Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson
State Capitol, Room 2032
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Support for SB 864, Limiting Oil and Gas Leasing of State Lands
Dear Senator Jackson:
We are proud to support your legislation, Senate Bill 864, which protects our coastal economy, and sustains our employees, customers, families, and communities.
California has the sixth largest economy in the world. Our coastal economy contributes $40 billion annually to the state, and half a million important jobs. Commercial fisheries in the state are valued at more than $7 billion annually. Ocean-based recreation and tourism are valued at over $10 billion annually. Recreational fishing is valued at over $2 billion annually along California’s coast. One of the reasons that California businesses thrive is our coastline and coastal waters, which attract over 150 million visitors annually, and helps draw a talented workforce.
In 1969, Santa Barbara experienced one of the nation’s worst oil spills. During that incident, an estimated 4.2 million gallons of crude oil were spilled into the sea, impacting two hundred square miles of ocean and 35 miles of California coastline. The 1969 oil spill not only killed thousands of birds, fish, and sea mammals, but also had a devastating impact on commercial fisheries, tourism, and coastal properties.
Oil spills wreak havoc on the coast and ocean that sustain our state. California has taken a position to intentionally forgo any revenue from new offshore oil development for over 50 years due to the unacceptably high risk, and has instead focused on developing clean renewable energy. Unfortunately, the federal government has recently called for additional offshore drilling that directly contradicts California’s leadership away from fossil fuels. Executive Order 13795 establishes as policy, and directs federal agencies to encourage, the exploration and production of offshore oil and gas. The Administration has recently taken the first step in implementing this Executive Order, through their draft proposed plan for a new Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which would schedule the first lease sales in federal waters off of California since 1984.
Senate Bill 864 protects the California coast from offshore oil and gas development by prohibiting the State Lands Commission from approving any new leases for oil and gas development – including the placement of pipelines – in state waters. This bill also prohibits the State Lands Commission from approving any lease renewal, extension, or modification that authorizes new or additional oil and gas development, and prohibits existing oil and gas lessees from constructing any new infrastructure – including pipelines, piers, and wharves – to increase capacity for the production of oil and gas.
We believe California legislators have a duty to adopt measures that protect our economy by preventing offshore oil drilling and the inevitable oil spills that result from oil drilling. As members of the California business community, we urge all our legislators to support Senate Bill 864.
Sincerely,
Blue Business Council
%%your signature%%