The California Senate passed legislation in June, 2016, that prohibits new offshore drilling in Tranquillon Ridge, a region near the Santa Barbara channel. Tranquillon Ridge is classified as a Marine Protected Area because of its sensitive and diverse marine ecosystem. The bill halts plans to develop new oil production facilities, but does not affect oil production on existing oil rigs on the California coast.
The ban on drilling new wells is touted by many politicians and environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund and National Resources Defense Council, as the only way to reliably prevent destructive oil spills. Supporters of SB 788 specifically refer to the May 19, 2015 gas leak that released over 100,000 gallons of crude oil at Refugio State Beach as evidence of the hazards presented by oil production in areas that are deemed environmentally sensitive. The crude oil spill at Refugio State Beach jeopardized one of the most biologically diverse regions on the Western coast.
The previous legislation targeting oil well production, known as the California Coastal Sanctuary Act of 1994, did not prohibit drilling operations in state waters near Tranquillon Ridge. The 1994 bill identified this region as the only remaining area that could potentially be subject to further drilling operations. SB 788 forecloses this possibility by closing the loophole that would have permitted drilling in waters by oil operations situated in adjacent federal waters.
The bill has been staunchly opposed by industry groups who had planned to exploit this area for oil production. Oil companies have attempted to access oil from Tranquillon Ridge’s offshore reserves from state waters for years. A proposal to drill into Tranquillon Ridge reserves from an onshore site has been considered since 2003. However, environmental concerns about the destruction of marine life and water pollution resulting from drilling from onshore to offshore waters have hindered these attempts.
SB 788, also known as the California Coastal Protection Act of 2015, was overwhelmingly approved by a 21-13 vote. The legislation is currently awaiting review by the State Assembly. A similar bill introduced last year, SB 1096, encountered significant opposition and did not obtain Assembly approval.
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