The Oil Industries Haven't Learned

The oil industry, its lobbyists and its Congressional allies are predictably furious at the Obama administration’s decision not to allow exploratory oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast. The decision was unquestionably the right one.

The industry and its well-paid allies say that delaying drilling will increase America’s dependence on foreign oil. That ignores a simple truth: A nation using one-quarter of the world’s oil while controlling only 3 percent of the world’s known reserves cannot drill its way to independence. The estimated 7.5 billion barrels the eastern gulf and Atlantic coast are thought to contain are just about what this country consumes in a year.

Read more from this excellent NY Times editorial.

Obama announces no new drilling in Pacific, Atlantic & eastern Gulf

Today, the Obama administration announced that there will be no new offshore oil drilling in federal waters in the Pacific, Atlantic and Eastern Gulf for the next seven years.

This is a major victory for all those who have fought hard (see NTA partner list) to prevent new offshore drilling since the federal and executive moratoriums were not renewed in the fall of 2008.

Until today, the last 2 years have been full of bad news.

At the 11th hour the Bush administration proposed opening all coasts to drilling.


Despite massive opposition and no real evidence domestic drilling would help solve our energy crisis, in March 2010 the Obama administration proposed open vast tracts of ocean to offshore drilling.



We all know what followed... the largest offshore oil spill in world history.

Thankfully, Salazar and Obama seemed to have learned from the Gulf oil spill, listened to the science, and the continued public opposition to new offshore drilling and have decided that there will be no new offshore drilling lease tracts opened in the Pacific, Atlantic and eastern Gulf for the next 7 years.



Although this is great news and a major step towards protecting out coasts from the threats of offshore drilling, some really critical issues remain. This recent announcement potentially opens the Atlantic to harmful seismic testing and allows for new drilling in Alaska. Further, we cannot forget that hundreds of Gulf Shore communities continue to struggle to recover from this nation’s most devastating environmental disaster.

Read the Department of Interior's press release and supporting documents here

Read an ABC news story here.

Decisions Nearing; Oil Companies Lobbying; Fishermen Worried

NATIONAL

Interior Secretary Sees Offshore Leasing Plan in 30-45 Days
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100219-713491.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesEurope

Salazar closes in on offshore drilling decision
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/82385-salazar-closes-in-on-offshore-drilling-decision

CALIFORNIA

Oil company spending lavishly to get around Carpinteria law
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik21-2010feb21,0,3506662.column
This is proposed onshore drilling, but it affects coastal and offshore resources.

FLORIDA

Florida legislators consider lifting ban on offshore drilling
http://www.theolympian.com/2010/02/19/1144607/florida-legislators-consider-lifting.html

VIRGINIA

Va. Senate backs bill to send offshore-drilling cash to transportation, environment
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/DRILGAT22_20100222-130201/326049/
“What a difference a few days makes. Voting 21-19, the Virginia Senate today backed legislation earmarking cash from offshore oil and gas exploration for education, the environment and transportation. The Democrat-controlled Senate had rejected a similar bill earlier in the 2010 session, largely to send a message to Gov. Bob McDonnell to go public on his remedy to the state's fiscal crisis. The House bill passed this afternoon and the defeated Senate measure are largely symbolic measures. That's because it will be years, if ever, before Virginia sees royalties from offshore drilling.”

Uncertainty not worth spoiling coast
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/opinion/columnists/article/uncertainty_not_worth_spoiling_coast/52592/

NORTHEAST

Tribes concerned about loss of fishing due to oil spills
http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2010/02/22/tribes-concerned-about-loss-of-fishing-d?blog=53
“After having been essentially excluded from the commercial fishery in Nova Scotia for some time, Aboriginal fishermen have seen a dramatic growth in their ranks in the past ten years and they are worried that this productive period could come to an abrupt end by the dangers posed by recent moves to approve oil and gas production on Georges Bank.”

Salazar, Nava Stand Up to Big Oil

In separate actions yesterday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and California Assemblymember Pedro Nava put out clear signals that neither the federal government nor the State of California are willing to roll over and give the oil companies whatever they ask for, which has too often been at the expense of both our environment and our economy.



Salazar's reforms, which affect drilling on public lands and offshore, mean the Bureau of Land Management no longer will simply accept oil and gas industry nominations when the agency is compiling a list of parcels to be offered at auction. New policies will mean BLM officials will conduct on-the-ground analyses of parcels for potential resource conflicts before they are listed for leasing. This will allow more organizations and individuals with wildlife, cultural-resource and environmental concerns to provide information that could counter industry interests. Predictably, oil companies howled. Secretary Salazar responded: "Under the previous administration, the oil and gas companies were essentially kings of the world, with Interior their handmaiden. Those from the industry who are crying out are simply crying because we are being thoughtful and supporting development in the right way and the right places."



In California, Assemblymember Nava introduced the Oil Industry Fair Share Act, which will establish an oil severance tax of 10% on the gross value of each barrel of crude oil pumped by companies in California. This tax will provide more than $1.5 billion in revenue to the General Fund annually. “California oil companies are getting a free ride. Right now, California is the only major oil producing state that does not charge a severance tax on oil extraction. It is time for California to catch up with Alaska, Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas. We need to collect the people’s share of this revenue source by forcing Big Oil to pay its fair share,” said Nava.

Opponents ask Salazar to halt offshore drilling

Opponents of offshore drilling - including some dressed as salmon and a polar bear - delivered more than 250,000 postcards and letters to the Interior Department Monday on a proposal to open vast waters off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts to oil and gas drilling.

Read more in the Washington Post.

The final total was actually 280,000 comments on the new 5-year lease and made it clear that new offshore drilling is not the answer.

San Francisco MMS Hearing Summary

Dressed as sea turtles, jellyfish and other marine life, environmentalists were among dozens of people to pack a public hearing Thursday to press Interior Secretary Ken Salazar not to open new areas of the West Coast to oil drilling.

The public forum, the last of four such meetings around the country with Salazar, also drew state and federal lawmakers concerned about the effects any expansion of offshore drilling could have on the region's economy and natural beauty.

Sen. Barbara Boxer drew cheers from the crowd as she emphatically told Salazar that California opposes such action.

"Our state is saying clearly to you today, no," she declared at the opening of the hearing at the UC San Francisco Mission Bay campus.

Read more at San Francisco Chronicle: White House pressed to stop offshore drilling

More stories...

Reuters: Californians say "baby, baby, no more drilling"

AlterNet: The Consequences of 'Drill, Baby Drill': More Than 90 Oil Spills a Day in the U.S.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Anti-oil drilling forces view Interior Secretary as ally

(Click here from from great Press Democrat photos)

San Jose Mercury News: As We See It: Don't drill off the coast

The idea of drilling for oil off our coast has been fought by local environmentalists for decades -- for good reason.

A catastrophic oil spill would cause untold damage to our pristine shoreline and irrevocably harm ocean life.

Fortunately, in 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed into law a moratorium on offshore drilling and set the largest boundaries for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which permanently protected a quarter of California's coast.

Now local groups involved in ocean protection are organizing to ensure protections stay in place. The ban on offshore drilling expired under the last Bush administration, which also proposed to allow drilling in formerly off-limits areas, including the California coast.

While that proposal would not allow drilling in the sanctuary, a spill outside the boundaries could still foul waters and shorelines and kill sea life.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has convened a public hearing starting at 8 a.m. today in San Francisco to discuss the government's five-year plan for oil development.

The California coastal part of the plan should be simple: Don't drill.


Los Angeles Times: Californians voice concerns to Obama administration over offshore drilling

KTVU Channel 2 - View Video

CNN Anderson Cooper’s Blog


KGO San Francisco local ABC

Outside the hearing, offshore drilling opponents held a rally dressed in costumes and listened to speakers representing environmental organizations. Inside, the hearing was dominated by elected officials -- most of them from California -- and all of them expressed the same point of view.

"Some other states may feel differently. Our state clearly is saying to you today 'no,'" said Democratic Senator Boxer of California.

KRON-TV, Channel 4, San Francisco, April 16

White House pressed to stop offshore drilling

SAN FRANCISCO - Environmentalists and California lawmakers are urging Interior Secretary Ken Salazar not to open new areas of the West Coast to oil drilling.

Protesters came out to today's public hearing in San Francisco dressed as sea turtles, jellyfish and other marine life.

Senator Barbara Boxer drew cheers from the crowd as she emphatically told Salazar that California opposes offshore drilling. The Democratic senator says the California coastline is a huge economic asset to the state "just as it is."

Spread the Word

Download this flyer, print them up and paste them around your community.

As East and West Coast public hearings loom, ocean-based activists sound off on offshore oil drilling

Don't let this happen to your beach! Read the Surfline article that describes the threat and what you can do about it - attend the MMS hearings!

Secretary Salazar wants you to RSVP for the MMS hearings

US Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, is holding 4 public meetings to talk about the federal government's plans for new offshore drilling. He wants you to RSVP if you are going to attend.

Click here to RSVP

Monday, April 6, 2009
Atlantic City Convention Center
One Convention Boulevard
Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tulane University
McAlister Auditorium
Building 43
McAlister Drive
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center
600 West Seventh Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska

Thursday, April 16, 2009
University of California, San Francisco
Mission Bay Conference Center
Robertson Auditorium
1675 Owens Street
San Francisco, California

MEETING DETAILS
At each location, doors will open at 8:00 a.m. and meetings will begin at 9:00 a.m. Meetings will conclude by 8:00 p.m., with breaks tentatively scheduled from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Please refer to http://www.mms.gov/5-year/ for final schedule information for each meeting.

After opening remarks, the Secretary and Interior agency staff will present a brief overview of the Department's findings regarding Outer Continental Shelf (OSC) energy resources.

The rest of the meeting will be devoted to hearing from public and private interests on best approaches to developing a comprehensive offshore energy plan that includes the development of traditional and renewable sources of energy on the OCS.

If you can attend the public meetings, then please formally RSVP to let the US Department of the Interior know that they should hold a spot for you, at the meeting. Space is limited.

Send your RSVP email to: DOI_Events@ios.doi.gov

Suggested text:

Dear US Department of the Interior,

I will be attending Secretary Salazar's Outer Continental Shelf comprehensive energy development plan public meeting in [name location from above].

I would like to speak at the event.

I will be representing myself, as an interested and concerned citizen.

Please add me to the RSVP list.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
NAME
ADDRESS