Nava & Coalition of Environmental Leaders Oppose Schwarzenegger's Oil Drilling Budget Scheme
California Political Desk
July 22, 2009
Santa Barbara – Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) and a coalition of California environmental leaders announced their vehement opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger´s Oil Drilling Budget Scheme, which may come up for a vote in the Capitol this week. The Governor is proposing to allow oil drilling in state coastal waters for the first time in 40 years. Under the proposal, the Governor would submit his oil drilling plan to an ad hoc committee where he is assured approval. The 3 member sham committee includes of two appointees (and under his control) of the Governor (Secretaries of Resources Agency and Cal EPA). The third member is the Attorney General, not subject to the Governor´s control.
"This is a sham. Other than the Attorney General, the Governor controls the ad hoc committee and there is little doubt that two of the three votes will quench the Governor´s thirst for more oil," said Nava. "If your child´s little league team tried this kind of do-over, they would be disqualified and kicked out of the league. "
Just last January, a coastal drilling proposal was rejected by the three-member State Lands Commission, only one of whom is appointed by the Governor. The other two are accountable directly to the voters of California (the Lieutenant Governor and State Controller) and said NO to this terrible idea.
This end run around the State Lands Commission (SLC) has never happened since its formation in 1938. In fact, the SLC was formed because of a scandal involving the Director of Finance (an appointee of the Governor´s). With this new proposal, the Governor seeks to unilaterally approve a 15-year lease for new drilling in state waters off the Santa Barbara Coast. The SLC previously rejected this proposed project, known as the "Tranquillon Ridge Project" on a 2 to 1 vote. Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi and State Controller John Chiang both voted NO while the alternate for Mike Genest, Director of Finance voted AYE.
Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi said, "The Governor just put California's coastline up for sale when he had other options that don't put our natural resources at risk. He refused to approve a plan to tax oil companies that now extract oil in California to fund health care services, children's programs and education. California is the only oil producing state without an oil severance tax, and it would generate $1.2 billion dollars annually for our state," Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi said. "Instead, we are taking dirty money. Big Oil has offered to California $100 million dollars to seduce the state into granting the first new oil drilling lease in California since the Santa Barbara oil spill 41 years ago. The loan must be repaid by forgiving future royalty payments to California. This is an incredibly reckless fiscal policy."
"Instead of closing a corporate tax loophole, the Governor wants to enter a Faustian bargain that would put one of California´s riches natural resources – its coastline – at risk," said Senator Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord.
"This individual project off the Santa Barbara coast simply is not a Budget issue," said Willie Pelote, California Political & Legislative Director, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "If the Governor really wants to generate more revenues he should charge oil companies for extraction just like they do in Texas, Alaska, and other oil producing states."
Richard Charter, of Defenders of Wildlife, has 35 years of experience in coastal drilling issues. "The Administration has triggered the political equivalent of the Santa Barbara Blowout, rolling the State Lands Commission and the Democrats in the Legislature, while punching a big hole in the 40-year precedent that has protected California's own nearshore coastal waters from new offshore drilling. The oil lobby, reaping tens of billions in taxpayer dollars from this scam, is laughing all the way to the bank, confident that any removal of rigs or facilities cannot be enforceable without congressional legislation they know is not even pending. If this deal goes forward, the driller's next stops are Malibu, Santa Monica Bay, and La Jolla," said Charter.
"The enduring image of nearly every oil spill is a dead or dying bird lying on a blackened beach, its feathers covered with oil," said Graham Chisholm, executive director of Audubon California. "Californians have stated many times that they don´t want to see any more of that destruction, and yet the budget crisis is prompting our leadership to risk exactly that. Our shorelines are too precious to take those kinds of chances."
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Santa Barbara Oil Spill when more than 3 million gallons of oil choked 35 miles of California´s Coastline causing a path of destruction never before seen in our nation´s history. The carcasses of dolphins and seals washed ashore and countless birds, fish and other wildlife wore black shrouds. The spill and its aftermath galvanized the country, raised environmental awareness and was the catalyst to the modern environmental movement in the United States.
The following environmental organizations opposed the Governor´s May Budget revision, which included Schwarzenegger´s Oil Drilling Budget Scheme:
Audubon California
Environment Now
Vote the Coast
Environment California
Surfrider Foundation
National Resources Defense Council
Environmental Defense Fund
Sierra Club California
Planning and Conservation League
California Coastal Coalition
California Coastal Protection Network
Vote They Coast
Defenders of Wildlife
Amigos de Bolsa Chica
Beacon Foundation
Center for Biological Diversity
Coastwalk California
Committee for Green Foothills
Environmental Health Coalition
ECOSLO
Inland Empire Water Keeper
Endangered Habitat League
Humboldt Baykeeper
San Diego Baykeeper
Santa Monica Baykeeper
Ventura Coastkeeper
San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper
Orange County Coastkeeper
League for Coastal Protection
Malibu Coastal Land
Wild Coast
Western Alliance for Nature
North Coast Environmental Center
Urban Wildlands
Western Action Network
Sea and Sage Audubon
Madrone Audubon Society
"This is a sham. Other than the Attorney General, the Governor controls the ad hoc committee and there is little doubt that two of the three votes will quench the Governor´s thirst for more oil," said Nava. "If your child´s little league team tried this kind of do-over, they would be disqualified and kicked out of the league. "
Just last January, a coastal drilling proposal was rejected by the three-member State Lands Commission, only one of whom is appointed by the Governor. The other two are accountable directly to the voters of California (the Lieutenant Governor and State Controller) and said NO to this terrible idea.
This end run around the State Lands Commission (SLC) has never happened since its formation in 1938. In fact, the SLC was formed because of a scandal involving the Director of Finance (an appointee of the Governor´s). With this new proposal, the Governor seeks to unilaterally approve a 15-year lease for new drilling in state waters off the Santa Barbara Coast. The SLC previously rejected this proposed project, known as the "Tranquillon Ridge Project" on a 2 to 1 vote. Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi and State Controller John Chiang both voted NO while the alternate for Mike Genest, Director of Finance voted AYE.
Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi said, "The Governor just put California's coastline up for sale when he had other options that don't put our natural resources at risk. He refused to approve a plan to tax oil companies that now extract oil in California to fund health care services, children's programs and education. California is the only oil producing state without an oil severance tax, and it would generate $1.2 billion dollars annually for our state," Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi said. "Instead, we are taking dirty money. Big Oil has offered to California $100 million dollars to seduce the state into granting the first new oil drilling lease in California since the Santa Barbara oil spill 41 years ago. The loan must be repaid by forgiving future royalty payments to California. This is an incredibly reckless fiscal policy."
"Instead of closing a corporate tax loophole, the Governor wants to enter a Faustian bargain that would put one of California´s riches natural resources – its coastline – at risk," said Senator Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord.
"This individual project off the Santa Barbara coast simply is not a Budget issue," said Willie Pelote, California Political & Legislative Director, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "If the Governor really wants to generate more revenues he should charge oil companies for extraction just like they do in Texas, Alaska, and other oil producing states."
Richard Charter, of Defenders of Wildlife, has 35 years of experience in coastal drilling issues. "The Administration has triggered the political equivalent of the Santa Barbara Blowout, rolling the State Lands Commission and the Democrats in the Legislature, while punching a big hole in the 40-year precedent that has protected California's own nearshore coastal waters from new offshore drilling. The oil lobby, reaping tens of billions in taxpayer dollars from this scam, is laughing all the way to the bank, confident that any removal of rigs or facilities cannot be enforceable without congressional legislation they know is not even pending. If this deal goes forward, the driller's next stops are Malibu, Santa Monica Bay, and La Jolla," said Charter.
"The enduring image of nearly every oil spill is a dead or dying bird lying on a blackened beach, its feathers covered with oil," said Graham Chisholm, executive director of Audubon California. "Californians have stated many times that they don´t want to see any more of that destruction, and yet the budget crisis is prompting our leadership to risk exactly that. Our shorelines are too precious to take those kinds of chances."
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Santa Barbara Oil Spill when more than 3 million gallons of oil choked 35 miles of California´s Coastline causing a path of destruction never before seen in our nation´s history. The carcasses of dolphins and seals washed ashore and countless birds, fish and other wildlife wore black shrouds. The spill and its aftermath galvanized the country, raised environmental awareness and was the catalyst to the modern environmental movement in the United States.
The following environmental organizations opposed the Governor´s May Budget revision, which included Schwarzenegger´s Oil Drilling Budget Scheme:
Audubon California
Environment Now
Vote the Coast
Environment California
Surfrider Foundation
National Resources Defense Council
Environmental Defense Fund
Sierra Club California
Planning and Conservation League
California Coastal Coalition
California Coastal Protection Network
Vote They Coast
Defenders of Wildlife
Amigos de Bolsa Chica
Beacon Foundation
Center for Biological Diversity
Coastwalk California
Committee for Green Foothills
Environmental Health Coalition
ECOSLO
Inland Empire Water Keeper
Endangered Habitat League
Humboldt Baykeeper
San Diego Baykeeper
Santa Monica Baykeeper
Ventura Coastkeeper
San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper
Orange County Coastkeeper
League for Coastal Protection
Malibu Coastal Land
Wild Coast
Western Alliance for Nature
North Coast Environmental Center
Urban Wildlands
Western Action Network
Sea and Sage Audubon
Madrone Audubon Society
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