New Offshore Oil Drilling Looming

by Laurel Paget-Seekins

The federal Mineral Management Service is about to allow the development of 40 new offshore oil drilling leases off the coast of central California. According to a June 7th, 1999 Los Angeles Times article, the 40 leases were bought by oil companies before 1984 and have not been explored due to political delays. Current offshore production in California pumps 140,000 barrels daily, and the development of these new leases could increase that to 200,000 daily by the year 2009.

Extension of Leases

The federal Mineral Management Service, which oversees oil sales, is expected to give the oil companies another extension to go forward with the leases, last delayed in 1993 by an impact study on offshore drilling on the Central California Coast released June of this year.

Senator Barbara Boxer's office says they are doing all they can to stop the exploration of the 40 leases. One option is for the federal government to buy the leases back from the companies. Also the California Coastal Commission can challenge offshore oil drilling in federal waters and there are other regulatory agencies that have a chance to object.

Activists against offshore oil drilling are afraid that the opening up of these oil leases could lead to new leases. The president has the power to make a permanent moratorium or extend it for a limited number of years. At an ocean summit last year President Clinton promised a 5 year moratorium on offshore oil drilling off the coast of California. This next presidential election is key to whether there will be offshore oil drilling after that five years.

Newspeak strikes again!

A congressional bill, The Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999, currently in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Committee on Resources, would require the oil industry to provide funds for any negative impacts of drilling to go to coastal local governments. Nicknamed the Coastal Bribe Act, this might make it harder for these governments to fight offshore oil developments and make it look like the oil companies are going to be responsible to the coastal communities.

What you can do:

Contact Mineral Management Service

National office on Offshore
(202) 208-3530 (202) 208-6048 (fax)

Pacific regional office -
(805) 389-7520 (805) 389-7526 (fax)

California Coastal Commission
(415) 904-5200

Contact Congress members
(see Governmental Resources Directory in this issue for numbers)

Register your opposition to The Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999; Senate SB25; House HR701
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1999
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited

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Last Update: 8/26/99