California State Lands Commission Stops Renewed Oil Drilling off the California Coast Lt. Governor Garamendi Joins Controller Chiang to Thwart Drilling Deal by 2 to 1 Vote Published on Jan 30, 2009 - 12:02:17 PM
An older offshore drilling platform that currently exists off the coast of Santa Barbara.
SANTA BARBARA, Jan. 29, 2009 - On a two-to-one vote, the California State Lands Commission, chaired by Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, today denied the first new oil lease in state waters in almost 40 years.
Garamendi, former Deputy Interior Secretary under President Bill Clinton, argued strongly that the plan would signal that California wants to open offshore drilling and supporters would push for more oil exploration on the West Coast.
"I refuse to let this lease move forward," Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi said. "Approving a drilling proposal will undercut congressional efforts to reintroduce a federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling earlier lifted by the Bush Administration."
The Lieutenant Governor chairs the three-member State Lands Commission, which considered the request to lease land to the Plains Exploration & Production Company to expand drilling off the coast of California.
The Lieutenant Governor, who has consistently opposed offshore drilling, recently spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, and other members of the California congressional delegation who had significant concerns about the lease undercutting their attempts to reintroduce a federal moratorium on oil exploration off the coast.
The State Lands Commission's staff last week recommended voting down the lease, because there were no sound guarantees that the company would have to shut down the plan.
"This proposal is not in the best interests of California," Garamendi said. "Approval of this lease would be the first time new offshore oil drilling leases were issued in California waters in more than 40 years -- since the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill."
Lieutenant Governor Garamendi has an accomplished environmental record:
* As chairman, Garamendi led the State Lands Commission to reject the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal off the Oxnard/Malibu coast, highlighting the plan's deficiencies in protecting the environmental health of the communities, the ocean and coastline.
* As a member of the Ocean Protection Council, Garamendi developed a plan & championed legislation (Pacific Protection Initiative; 5 marine debris bills to reduce ocean pollution) to greatly decrease pollution of California beaches from plastic refuse, reducing the danger to California's beaches and marine life.
* As Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Garamendi oversaw the Department's eight bureaus and helped develop national global warming policy with Vice President Al Gore and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. He also was the key negotiator for water disputes throughout California and brought the Riverside Habitat Conservation Plan to successful implementation, which protected 66,000 acres of rare habitat. It is a national model.
* As a California legislator, Garamendi authored the Tahoe Bond Act (1982), allowing the State to acquire and preserve private land in the Tahoe Basin. Since then, he has continued to help lead the state's efforts to protect the quality and clarity of Lake Tahoe's water, shore zone, natural habitat, and regional development activities.
* Garamendi's 32 years of public service and environmental leadership was recently recognized by leading California coastal advocates:
* Environmental Defense Center (Environmental Hero Award, June 2008)
* San Diego Coast Keeper (2007 Coastal Champion Award, November 2007)
* The California Coastal Coalition & the Wetlands Recovery Project (2007 Friend of the Coast Award, April 2007)
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