Schwarzenegger Announces Withdrawl of Support for Controversial Offshore Oil Drilling Project

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger withdrew his support Monday for a controversial new offshore oil drilling project off the Santa Barbara coast in the wake of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Hidden Data, Deals and Drilling Opposition

NATIONAL

Offshore oil won’t reduce prices
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bs-ed-0408-readers-respond-offshore-oil-20100407,0,7772245.story

ALASKA

MMS Withheld Offshore Drilling Data, Hindered Risk Analyses in Alaska
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/07/07greenwire-gao-audit-mms-withheld-offshore-drilling-data-h-3483.html

CALIFORNIA – multiple articles on the “new” PXP T-ridge project

Anti-drilling groups set to announce agreement on Santa Barbara County's offshore oil
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/04/06/1094000/anti-drilling-groups-santa-barbara.html

New Oil Drilling Plan
http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=29257

Oil Drilling Deal, Act III
http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/2010/04/07/oil-drilling-deal-act-iii/
A PDF of the 28-page agreement is here. You can also check out the T-Ridge page on EDC's website

Calif. conservationists, oil company strike deal
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100407/ap_on_bi_ge/us_well_oiled_environmentalists

FLORIDA

Florida's U.S. Reps oppose Obama's offshore oil drilling plan
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/07/1567138/florida-reps-oppose-obamas-offshore.html

GEORGIA

Locals see need for offshore oil production
http://www.bryancountynews.net/news/article/5588/
“However, some experts have expressed concern drilling off the East Coast and Gulf Coast could impact marine life or the Floridan aquifer, a source of fresh drinking water for large areas of the Southeast. The aquifer lies underneath 100,000 square miles of land stretching from South Carolina and Georgia across Florida to Alabama and Mississippi.”

NORTH CAROLINA

NC Senate hopefuls diverge from Obama on drilling
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9ETNM6O1.htm

Opposition to Offshore Drilling - East and West

NATIONAL

Offshore Drilling Will Not Wean Us Off Foreign Oil http://oceanswavesbeaches.blogspot.com/2010/02/offshore-drilling-will-not-wean-us-off.html

Offshore Oil Drilling Environmental Facts (eHow.com)
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5928010_offshore-oil-drilling-environmental.html

CALIFORNIA

Eco groups withdraw support of Calif. oil drilling
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/6851425.html

Three articles on the announcement by Lt. Governor nominee Maldonado that he will vote no on the PXP project if it comes back to the State Lands Commission:

Lieutenant governor nominee to vote against offshore oil drilling plan
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/02/lt-gov-nominee-says-hell-vote-against-new-oil/
Maldo: No On Oil Drilling Plan
http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/2010/02/02/maldo-no-on-oil-drilling-plan/
Lt. Gov. nominee could cast vote on new oil-drilling off Calif. coast
http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/02/03/Lt-Gov-Hearing/

A system in peril: Budget cutters again target the state parks
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yltualr2mo113c&xid=yltb8biuctdlee&done=.yltualr2mol13c
“This year, rather than proposing deep, painful cuts as he has for the last two years– only to have them rejected by popular outcry – the Governor has tried a different game of political “chicken.” His latest budget proposes to eliminate all General Fund support for state parks and replace it with uncertain funding from a highly controversial oil-drilling project that has been rejected twice. The Administration proposes to cut $140 million allocated to state parks and offset it with future revenues from oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast. So, the “fortune” of California’s state parks would be inextricably linked to an oil drilling proposal that already failed to get approval – not once, but twice in 2009.”

FLORIDA

Oil drilling could hurt offshore game fishing, researchers say
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/oil-25385-drilling-researchers.html

Statewide event opposes offshore drilling
http://www.tbnweekly.com/front_page/content_articles/020310_fpg-01.txt

Protesters oppose offshore drilling
http://sealitsoc.blogspot.com/2010/02/protesters-oppose-offshore-drilling.html

Enviros Lobbying for Oil Drilling in CA? Oil for Roads in VA?

CALIFORNIA

Environmental groups battle over oil drilling
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/01/environmental-groups-battle-each-other-over-oil/
“Critics question whether the terms of the agreement can be adequately enforced. They argue if California were to allow the first new drilling in state waters since 1968 to go forward, it would send a message to the federal government that the state is now receptive to opening new oil leases off its coast.”

FLORIDA

Off Shore Oil Drilling Symposium
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/83312167.html
In a symposium held Monday a panel of eight experts from all over the nation gave their two cents. "Any time a resource is taken out of the sea bed, it has to be transported in some way and it's by pipelines. There could be a significant disruption of territorial displays," says Felicia Coleman, Director of FSU's Coastal and Marine Lab.

VIRGINIA

Offshore drilling-royalties plan advances
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/offshore-drillingroyalties-plan-advances

Shock Waves in the Atlantic; Arnold's World in California

Interior to look at drilling in Atlantic Ocean
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/25/AR2010012503085.html
Government plans cautious moves on Atlantic drilling
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6835125.html
"Before deciding on those requests, the Interior Department first is required by federal law to study the potential environmental impacts of the seismic testing. Some environmental advocates have said the shock wave surveys can injure whales and other marine life or cause them to change their breeding habits and other behavior."

North Carolina - Perdue's offshore drilling panel meets
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/6883866/

California - Schwarzenegger: "Look Beyond" One's Principles
http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/2010/01/25/schwarzenegger-look-beyond-ones-principles/
"It will be satisfying so many ends," he said. "First of all, we get less dependent on foreign oil. Second, we will get extra revenues. The environmentalists are happy, business is happy, so everyone is happy, so why not go ahead with it?" My question is, what world is this guy living in?

Alaska - Off Shore Oil Drilling Threatens Marine Life

Shell faces legal fight over Arctic wells
http://surfspots-gps.com/off-shore-oil-drilling-threatens-marine-life

Debates in Florida, Shady Deals in California

Florida

Offshore drilling remains hot topic at Tallahassee debate
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20100120/CAPITOLNEWS/1200312

Florida oil drilling opponents challenge report
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1434585.html

Florida State to Host Second Symposium on Offshore Drilling (Audubon of Florida)
http://audubonoffloridanews.org/?p=3704

Is oil drilling safe in the Gulf of Mexico? SAFE says so – or do they?
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2010/01/21/is-oil-drilling-safe-in-the-gulf-of-mexico-safe-says-so-or-do-they/
“Please join your fellow Floridians and tourists alike for Hands Across the Sand on Saturday, February 13th.”

California

More Questions Than Answers on Offshore Drilling Agreement
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/7357
“EDC is setting a precedent that absolutely will lead to widespread drilling on the coast. Instead of maintaining a strict opposition to offshore drilling on the merits, they've indicated that such opposition has a price, and once met, opposition will go away.”

Oil & Secrecy
http://www.independent.com/news/2010/jan/21/oil-secrecy/

Alaska

Shell offshore oil drill plan in Alaska challenged
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2017961320100120?type=marketsNews

National

The phony oil drilling debate (Scitizen)
http://scitizen.com/future-energies/the-phony-oil-drilling-debate_a-14-2218.html
This is from September 2008, but it’s still relevant.
“It’s at least order of magnitude more important to worry about the demand side, rather than the supply side.”

Flaming oil rig award goes to Governor Schwarzenegger

The first "flaming oil rig" award of 2010 goes to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for his oil-for-parks budget scheme that proposes to fund California State Parks via a new lease for offshore drilling in Santa Barbara.

What makes this proposal so offensive is that it holds our state parks for ransom (more on that here), the presumption of approval at the State Lands Commission (despite being denied last year) and willingness to end run the State Land Commission in the event it gets denied there (the first two attempts failed).

Read the Surfrider Foundation's opposition to the Gov's oil-for-parks budget scheme here.

Read the strong reaction from others in the media here.

Here's a rundown of the previous attempts to ram this proposal through:

Thursday, May 21, 2009:

Subverting State Lands Commission is Not The Answer

Friday, May 29, 2009:

Governor’s Oil Actions Threaten California Coastline

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Budget Conference Committee Doesn’t Consider Governor’s Scheme to Expand Offshore Oil Drilling

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Gov. Schwarzenegger Flip-Flops on Offshore Drilling in California

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Sam Blaskeslee makes end run at State Land's Commission denial of PXP. OPPOSE AB 1536

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

AB 1536 FAIL

Stay tuned...

Oil for Parks dominates the news...

There were many articles over the weekend on Schwarzenegger’s plan to fund state parks through revenues generated through a twice-rejected plan to drill new oil wells in the ocean off Santa Barbara. Here are some reactions:

"Blackmail might be a better term for it," said Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who chairs the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. "He's saying I'll fund the parks if you'll open up the coast to new oil drilling."

"Why anyone would think this would ever get approved is kind of a mystery," said Elizabeth Goldstein, Executive Director of the California State Parks Foundation, who is championing an $18 vehicle registration fee to fund state parks and give motorists free admission.

"The California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) rejects the Governor’s proposal to eliminate core public funding for California’s 278 state parks and replace it with uncertain funding from an oil drilling project that has not been approved for California, as announced in his proposed 2010-11 State Budget today," a statement from the organization read. "He has resurrected the Tranquillon Ridge offshore oil drilling proposal and has attempted to give this controversial and uncertain financial proposal environmental credentials by directing its proceeds to the state park system."

“Californians should reject this false choice between offshore oil drilling and state parks,” said Graham Chisholm, executive director of Audubon California. “The Governor is hoping that our love for state parks will compel us to take his bitter medicine and support new offshore oil drilling. The park measure will secure the future of our state parks without jeopardizing California’s coast.”

"Our coast is one of our most important economic assets and renewing offshore oil drilling puts at great risk our tourist and fishing industries," said Dan Jacobson with Environment California.

"The hypocrisy of the Governor cannot be overstated," said Susan Jordan who directs the California Coastal Protection Network. " He would rather reverse forty years of bi-partisan California state policy against offshore oil drilling to push through a pet project over 100 statewide groups have joined to oppose rather than require oil companies extracting oil from our state's sea beds pay a severance tax -- their fair share to taxpayers for doing business in California. We are the only oil producing state in America that does not tax extraction of gas and oil on lands owned by the state. This would bring in more than 1.5 billion dollars annually to the state's General Fund," she emphasized.

Governor seeks to use oil money to save parks
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/09/MNIJ1BFPO7.DTL

Schwarzenegger: Fund State Parks via Offshore Oil Money
http://laist.com/2010/01/08/schwarzenegger_fund_state_parks_via.php

Arnold Tries Again on T-Ridge
http://www.calbuzz.com/2010/01/arnold-tries-again-on-t-ridge-rumors-of-the-week/

California State Parks Get Drilled by Governor’s Proposed Budget
http://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blog/2010/01/09/california-state-parks-get-drilled-by-governors-proposed-budget/

Enviros blast Arnold’s oil-for-parks plan
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2010/01/08/enviros-blast-arnolds-oil-for-parks-plan/

Schwarzenegger's Budget Threatens the Coast of California with Offshore Oil Drilling (Environment California)
http://yubanet.com/california/Schwarzenegger-s-Budget-Threatens-the-Coast-of-California-with-Offshore-Oil-Drilling.php?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Yubanet+(YubaNet.com+Headlines)

Want state parks? Let us drill offshore
http://blogs.redding.com/mbeauchamp/archives/2010/01/want-state-park.html

Governor’s budget proposal only proves need for State Parks Initiative
http://www.audublog.org/?p=3201

AB 1536 FAIL

The second attempt to make an end run on the State Lands Commission by legislating a temporary sham commission fails. Enough is enough. It's time for PxP stop these slimy attempts to subvert California's independent natural resource management agencies.

From the NY Times Greenwire:

By DEBRA KAHN of Greenwire

A bill that would have allowed the first new offshore oil lease in California in 30 years to offset budget woes failed to pass the state Legislature last week, leaving the longstanding moratorium intact for now.

A.B. 1536 died in committee Friday, to the relief of environmental groups that had supported an offshore drilling lease proposal earlier this year by Houston-based Plains Exploration and Production Co., or PXP.

PXP had secured the support of several environmental groups by promising to donate land and shut down all drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara by 2022, but those groups balked at the prospect of circumventing the State Lands Commission, the body normally in charge of in-state energy production (Greenwire, June 2).

The bill by Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee (R) would have supplanted the Lands Commission with a three-member board of appointees of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) instead of one appointee and two elected officials. The commission voted in January to reject PXP's offer, despite the environmental concessions and up to $5 billion in oil royalties through 2022 it could produce.

Read the rest here...

Sam Blaskeslee makes end run at State Land's Commission denial of PXP. OPPOSE AB 1536

This week Sam Blakeslee takes sole ownership of the "Flaming Oil Rig" award.

In a second attempt to to an end run on the California State Lands Commission denial of the PXP, CA Rep. Sam Blakeslee "guts and stuffs" AB1536 to create a sham committee to approve the project.

Urgent Action Needed to Oppose AB1536

In July you all worked hard to defeat the CA Governor’s Oil Drilling Scheme. Your efforts helped carry the day. The Governor’s plan was defeated in the California Assembly by a vote of 28 – 43.

There was massive opposition to the first attempt at this end run and the opposition has only grown.

Unfortunately, PXP is trying to make a comeback and CA Asm. Sam Blakeslee is its new champion – Republican Assembly member Sam Blakeslee has a gut-and-amend bill (AB 1536) to hand PXP the 1st new lease to drill in state waters since the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. The Blakeslee bill would create a sham committee to subvert the State Lands Commission authority.

We have to defeat this blatant disregard for California's independent resource protection agencies. We did it before and we can do it again.


Your urgent action is needed -- AB 1536 (Blakeslee) is currently in the Senate Rules Committee. The bill cannot proceed without special action by the Committee. Please contact Senator Darrell Steinberg (Senate President Pro Tempore and Chair, Rules Committee) at (916) 651-4006 to express your opposition to this bill and ask him to stop AB 1536. Remind Senator Steinberg that 93 environmental organizations oppose this legislation.

Please take the time to thank those Members of the Assembly who stood strong and did not support this coastal giveaway the last time it was considered. Ask them to stand with you on this issue again. Their names and phone numbers are below.

Click here to find your district representative.


Tom Ammiano (916) 319-2013

Jim Beall (916) 319-2024

Marty Block (916) 319-2078

Bob Blumenfield (916) 319-2040

Julia Brownley (916) 319-2041

Joan Buchanan (916) 319-2015

Anna Caballero (916) 319-2028

Wilmer Amina Carter (916) 319-2062

Wes Chesbro (916) 319-2001

Joe Coto (916) 319-2023

Mike Davis (916) 319-2048

Hector De La Torre (916) 319-2050

Kevin De León (916) 319-2045

Mike Eng (916) 319-2049

Noreen Evans (916) 319-2007

Mike Feuer (916) 319-2042

Nathan Fletcher (916) 319-2075

Paul Fong (916) 319-2022

Felipe Fuentes (916) 319-2039

Warren Furutani (916) 319-2055

Cathleen Galgiani (916) 319-2017

Isadore Hall (916) 319-2052

Diane Harkey (916) 319-2073

Mary Hayashi (916) 319-2018

Ed Hernandez (916) 319-2057

Jerry Hill (916) 319-2019

Alyson Huber (916) 319-2010

Jared Huffman (916) 319-2006

Dave Jones (916) 319-2009

Paul Krekorian (916) 319-2043

Ted Lieu (916) 319-2053

Bonnie Lowenthal (916) 319-2054

Fiona Ma (916) 319-2012

Tony Mendoza (916) 319-2056

William Monning (916) 319-2027

John Perez (916) 319-2046

V. Manuel Perez (916) 319-2080

Anthony Portantino (916) 319-2044

Ira Ruskin (916) 319-2021

Mary Salas (916) 319-2079

Lori Saldaña (916) 319-2076

Nancy Skinner (916) 319-2014

Jose Solorio (916) 319-2076

Audra Strickland (916) 319-2037

Sandré Swanson (916) 319-2016

Tom Torlakson (916) 319-2011

Norma Torres (916) 319-2061

Alberto Torrico (916) 319-2020

Mariko Yamada (916) 319-2008

Speaker Karen Bass (916) 319-2047

Oil interests sense weakness in California Legislature

by Amy Smart & Dan Jacobson in the Capitol Weekly:

Last week the state Assembly defeated a plan to drill off the coast of Santa Barbara. But the group behind this plan, a Houston-based oil company called Plains Exploration and Production, Co. (PXP), isn’t about to give up -- not when it has spent millions so far on PR and lobbying.

Wall Street investors, having heard that PXP’s lobbying efforts were able to get Gov. Schwarzenegger to reverse his position on drilling, have been pouring money into PXP. And the pressure is on PXP to push through its deal.

Later this month, PXP plans to resurrect the Tranquillion Ridge offshore oil drilling bill. Once again the company will blitz legislators with a hardball campaign and lobbying agenda.


While PXP (and the Wall Streeters who are betting on it) will make billions of dollars by tapping into a miniscule amount of oil (barely 10.13 billion gallons), millions of Californians will suffer.

The modern anti-offshore drilling movement gained significant steam after the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. At that time, approximately 100,000 barrels of crude spilled into the ocean, contaminating 150 miles of coast as well as devastating delicate marine ecosystems and endangering wildlife. It provided a vivid image of how dangerous offshore drilling is.

Now sensing weakness in the Legislature, today’s oil industry hopes to capitalize on the current budget crisis and tempt lawmakers with big oil money. Offshore oil drilling is not a viable alternative. Drilling has been—and still is—a dirty and dangerous business.

For years oil companies have talked about environmental safety and improved technology. They used this argument in 1989, when oil tanker Exxon Valdez dumped 10.8 million gallons of crude into Alaska’s Prince William Sound; in 2005 when hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in 743,700 gallons of oil spilled; in 2007 when cargo vessel Cosco Busan hit the Bay Bridge and spilled 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the San Francisco bay; and Wednesday, when a leak in a Texas oil rig spilled 58,000 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico.

According to recent reports drilling is dirty. Drilling a new well fills the surrounding ocean waters with thousands of gallons of lubricant containing arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, petroleum hydrocarbons, aluminum and other heavy metals. Air pollution from a single rig is equivalent to 7,000 cars each driving 50 miles per day.

And that’s not including the spills, which are alarmingly frequent: Federal agencies reported that between 2006 and the early part of 2009 there were over 2,069 oil related incidents involved in offshore drilling.

It’s important to remember why the California coast has been free from offshore oil drilling for 40 years. The coast defines California. It’s where we relax, swim, surf, sail and fish. It’s home to thousands of species of marine wildlife that use California waters for migrating, breeding and habitation. Our coast is worth protecting, and Californians know it.


With so much money on the line oil companies will try to use the recent PPIC poll as reason to open our coast to oil drilling. But what the numbers really indicate are years of aggressive and expensive PR and lobbying efforts—more than $17 million (lobbying alone) in California since the beginning of 2005. The truth is offshore oil drilling is a risky and imperfect solution, and has no place off our coast. Californians have no intention of selling out. The oil industry can spend as much as it wants on publicity stunts to manipulate public opinion, but we aren’t fooled.

We love our coast. It must remain clean and safe.

Breathing Easier in CA; Coasts Still Threatened in FL

California dodged an oily bullet over the weekend when the State Assembly rejected Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed end-run around the State Lands Commission , who had voted down a new offsore oil drilling project off Santa Barbara in February.

Meanwhile, the coast of Florida is still in jeopardy from proposed new oil drilling as Senators from Louisiana and Alaska have introduced legislation to allow drilling close to the coast in exchange for a cut of the oil drilling revenues.

How much is an oily beach worth to you? Not much. How about a clean beach? Priceless.

Budget Conference Committee Doesn’t Consider Governor’s Scheme to Expand Offshore Oil Drilling

This just in from Pedro Nava's office:

June 17th, 2009

Budget Conference Committee Doesn’t Consider Governor’s Scheme to Expand Offshore Oil Drilling

Sacramento- The Budget Conference Committee rejected the Governor's attempt to undermine the State Lands Commission offshore oil leasing authority. New offshore oil drilling was not included in the final recommendations. Congratulations to the environmental coalition that worked tirelessly to save our coast from the first new offshore oil drilling lease since the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.

“For over 40 years, Californians have not allowed a single new oil lease off our coast, and the State Lands Commission has protected us from this risk,” Said Terry O’Day of Environment Now, “Undermining the Commission’s independence is wrong for this project, for this budget crisis, and for our future.”

I had the pleasure of working with Sierra Club California, Surfrider Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environment Now, Environment California and others in defeating the Governor's proposal.

“Sierra Club California applauds the Conference Committee’s decision to keep new offshore oil drilling out of its budget-balancing proposal. We will continue to work with Assemblymember Nava and other coastal defenders to oppose efforts to overturn the State Lands Commission’s denial of the PXP proposal,” said Bill Magavern, Director of Sierra Club California.

It was especially important to beat this bad deal because Interior Secretary Salazar is right now writing new offshore oil lease proposals for the nation. Any new drilling in California sends the wrong message to the federal government.

“At a time when new offshore drilling threatens our coasts around the nation, it is more important than ever to ensure that our decision making processes are sound, independent and resistant to tampering by special interests regardless of the circumstances,” says Surfrider Foundation’s Chad Nelsen.

Let's savor this victory, but for only a few moments. The issue of offshore oil drilling isn't dead yet. There is the possibility the Big 5 will try to revive this bad deal as part of budget negotiations. We still have work to do.

But for now, a big round of applause for those environmental champions who fought this battle and won.

Massive Opposition To Schwarzenegger's Oil Drilling End Run

There is massive opposition to Governor Schwarzenegger's plan to override the State Lands Commission and allow oil drilling off of Santa Barbara as part of last minute budget stop gap.

State Lands Commission Resolution in opposition

Political Letters of Opposition:

Senator Barbara Boxer's Letter of Opposition

Environmental Group Letters in Opposition:

Defenders of Wildlife Opposition

Environmental Defense Center Opposition

Nine Environmental Organization Group Letter in Opposition

Sierra Club Opposition

Surfrider Foundation Opposition

Editorials in Opposition:

Los Angeles Times Opposition Editorial

San Francisco Chronicle Opposition Editorial

Ventura Star Opposition Editorial

Other New stories:

Calbuzz story describing 1938 Director of Finance scandal resulting in the creation of the State Lands Commission to over see on oil & gas leasing

Capitol Weekly story describing end run around State Lands Commission

Earlier posts on issue:

Lt. Governor Garamendi's opposition & Facebook page

Facebook Page

Hypocrisy, Thy Name is Arnold

Governor’s Oil Actions Threaten California Coastline

Subverting the State Lands Commission is Not the Answer

Hypocrisy, Thy Name is Arnold

This coming Monday, June 8 is World Ocean Day. So, in honor of the event, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement:

“California's tremendous ocean and coastline are important to our environment and our economy, and every year on Ocean Day, people around the globe reflect on the many benefits the ocean provides. I encourage all Californians to take part in the Thank You Ocean campaign, which reminds us why protecting the ocean for future generations is so important. Each of us can do something to make our beaches and oceans cleaner, safer and healthier.”

Here's something YOU can do, Arnold. You can drop your plan to sell out the California coast for oil drilling dollars! Or, as the LA Times put it:

"Admittedly, the state could use the money. But that's not a good enough reason to subvert the authority of the Lands Commission, sell California's coastline in exchange for empty promises, ignore the wishes of Santa Barbara residents and dismiss the outcome of a long process of analysis and public hearings."

Governor’s Oil Actions Threaten California Coastline

Governor Schwarzenegger’s austerity budget released just before the election included a strange and dangerous proposal to bypass the State Lands Commission’s public review of offshore oil drilling. Instead, the Director of Finance could override a vote of the three-member commission. It’s a strange proposal, since the Director of Finance is a member of the SLC, along with the Controller and Lieutenant Governor. So under the existing system, the Director needs only to convince one other member to carry any motion.

It’s a dangerous proposal since corruption by the Director of Finance is what led to the creation of the SLC in the first place. Undoing regulation enacted during the Great Depression and intended to protect against abuse of the public trust sounds eerily familiar to what created our current financial mess on Wall Street.

Read more here...

State Lands Commission will be discussing this issue on Monday, June 1st.

Support: Agenda Item 70. In January, the State Lands Commission denied an oil-drilling project in Santa Barbra and we need to make sure that decision is not overruled! Item 70 is a resolution opposing the Governor’s Budget Revision to override the State Lands Commission denial of the PXP oil-drilling project.

Read the resolution here.

Read Surfrider Foundation's position here.

(this is the last item on the agenda!)

MEETING DETAILS: CALIFORNIA STATE LANDS COMMISSION

MEETING STARTS At 10:00 AM
City Of Santa Monica
City Hall Council Chambers
Room 213, Second Floor
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Subverting State Lands Commission is Not The Answer

On January 29, 2009, the California State Lands Commission denied the Tranquillon Oil & Gas project in a 2-1 vote. At that time the SLC attorneys, in consultation with the Attorney General’s office, concluded that the agreement could not be reliably enforced. In addition, there were concerns about the Minerals Management Service (MMS) not including an end date in the federal permit.

Now the Governor and the Director of Finance, Michael Genest, are proposing special legislation via the budget process to circumvent this decision to try and find money for the state budget.

The Surfrider Foundation is opposed to any effort to undermine the decision making process of California state agencies.

Read our opposition letter here.