Parnell urges feds to allow offshore drilling (AK)
http://www.thebristolbaytimes.com/news/show/7172

Offshore oil drilling debate adds intrigue to Lt. Gov. appointment (CA)
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=y9bi7sk06kxsof&xid=y9bdsa0duvhbyp&done=.y9bi7sk06lgsof

Take Three on Tranquillon Ridge (CA)
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/sep/10/take-three-tranquillon-ridge/

Florida needs to open the gulf to oil drilling
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/florida-needs-to-open-the-gulf-to-oil-drilling/1034916
(letter to the editor from Oil Industry Lobbyist)

Dueling offshore drilling plans in Congress
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6611136.html

Keep Drills Offshore (FL)
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2009/09/09/keep-drills-offshore/

Martinez warns Florida lawmakers against 'mistake' on oil drilling
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/09/martinez-warns-florida-lawmakers-against-mistake-on-oil-drilling.html

Drill, Maybe, Drill (CA)
http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/2009/09/09/drill-maybe-drill/
(long discussion of PXP controversy)

U.S. looking at "variable" oil, natgas royalties
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE58767V20090908

Sweeping Rahall Bill Would Overhaul Federal Oil and Gas Leasing, Royalties
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/09/09/09greenwire-sweeping-rahall-bill-would-overhaul-federal-oi-94254.html

Truth from the Sky: Timor Oil Spill Now Covers 5800 square miles

SkyTruth is doing an amazing job of helping us all understand the impact of the gigantic oil drill in the Timor Sea north of Australia. Check out their blog.

This is their most recent post:

SkyTruth just downloaded and processed a MODIS satellite image from NASA that was taken on September 3, 2009. It shows the area in the Timor Sea affected by oil slicks and sheen from the Montara / West Atlas blowout and oil spill that began on August 21 is now over 5,800 square miles in size. That's more than double what it was just four days earlier, on August 30. And it's as big as Connecticut and Rhode Island put together:

Visit their blog for updates on this spill and the potential impacts of a spill like this in Florida.

Is your state next?

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

Modern drilling equipment is so advanced, safe and effective that... oops, nevermind.

Editorial: Oil spills still a threat
http://www.pnj.com/article/20090904/OPINION/909040309/Editorial--Oil-spills-still-a-threat

One of the arguments made by those who favor offshore drilling for oil near Florida's coastline is that modern drilling equipment is so advanced, safe and effective that oil spills from rigs are virtually a thing of the past, so there's no real risk to Florida's beaches.

Oops.

A drilling company today is fighting a spreading oil slick - it had covered about 1,800 square nautical miles of surface by earlier this week - in the Timor Sea near Australia. The rig responsible for the leak is reported to be one of the most modern in the world.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called the incident "appalling" and promised a federal investigation.

"Appalling" might turn out to be an understatement.

According to news reports, ships carrying equipment to fight the slick are expected on site today, more than a week after the leak began. And a rig that will drill a relief well into the fractured well and pump in mud to cap it off and stop the flow of leaking oil and gas isn't expected to leave Singapore until Tuesday ... and it will take four weeks to reach the leaking rig.

Oil company officials said they couldn't even estimate how much oil has leaked into the sea.
But the news get worse. Officials said it could take four weeks to drill the new well and cap off the old one, meaning the oil spill could span two months before it can be plugged.

More than a week after the accident happened officials were vague about the exact cause, saying a blowout occured about 11,500 feet below the ocean floor, which helps explain why it will take so long to drill to the problem area.

Meanwhile, in July an oil pipeline off Louisiana leaked 1,500 barrels of oil into the Gulf, creating a slick that covered 90 square miles, according to U.S. Coast Guard records.

No doubt today's drilling and production rigs are more advanced than in the past. But it still takes only a single spill to spread disaster across Florida's beaches.

You can keep with with the Timor Sea Drilling Spill on SkyTruths's blog here.

Australian Oil Well Blowout - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Actually, there are a growing collection of photos of the ongoing ecological disaster off the west coast of Australia.

Is this a preview of the future for California, Florida, Virginia and elsewhere?

County supervisors say no to new oil drilling (CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_13253167?nclick_check=1

Crist: Lawmakers may address offshore drilling (FL)
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/02/crist-lawmakers-may-address-offshore-drilling/news-politics/

Crist might take another try at energy development (FL)http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090901/BREAKINGNEWS/90901039/1006/NEWS01/Crist+might+take+another+try+at+energy+development