Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the ``West Coast Ocean Protection Act.'' This important legislation would prohibit oil or gas drilling in federal waters off the coast of California,…
Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the ``West Coast Ocean Protection Act.''
This important legislation would prohibit oil or gas drilling in federal waters off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.
After four years of an Administration intent on allowing drilling off the West Coast and in waters across the United States, I am hopeful we will finally pass this bill to ensure no drilling ever occurs in Pacific waters.
I'm pleased to be joined today by Senators Padilla, Wyden, Merkley, Murray, Cantwell, Menendez, Booker, Markey, and Sanders in introducing this bill, which has been introduced in every Congress since the Deepwater Horizon disaster in April 2010.
11 people were killed and 17 others injured when the Deepwater Horizon well blew out. Oil and gas spewed into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days.
Oil slicks covered the Gulf. Tar balls and toxic sludge covered beaches and wetlands. More than one-third of federal waters in the Gulf were closed to fishing.
While the Deepwater Horizon disaster reminded the world of the dangers of offshore drilling, Californians never had to be convinced; before Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez, there was the tragic 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara.
A well blowout on an offshore rig spilled more than 3 million gallons of crude oil according to some estimates--the worst spill in U.S. history at the time.
The spill closed local beaches--which were covered by a thick layer of oil--and thousands of marine mammals and birds were killed.
Tourists were turned away and commercial fishing operations were halted, hurting the local economy.
After the Santa Barbara spill, California had enough. The State blocked all new offshore drilling in state waters--which extend three miles from the shore--and in 1994 enacted a permanent offshore drilling ban.
Through local ordinances, congressional opposition, and presidential moratoria, all new drilling in federal waters off California has been blocked since 1984.
Today, opposition to offshore drilling is higher than ever. A 2018 poll found that nearly 70% of Californians oppose new drilling off our coast. The evidence is quite clear: Californians do not want any more drilling.
The California coast is an economic engine of growth for the state and the nation. A 2015 report produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that California's 19 coastal counties created $662 billion in wages and $1.7 trillion in GDP in 2012.
Overall, California's ocean economy supports over 1 million jobs and generates significant growth for the U.S. Because of the unique nature of the West Coast ocean shelf, potential drilling would occur near the coastline and directly threaten the environment and robust economy.
It is long past time to respect the view of California and our fellow West Coast states by passing the ``West Coast Ocean Protection Act'' to permanently ban offshore drilling and protect the Pacific coast for generations to come.
I yield the floor.
