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Energy:
California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act

Our Position: support
Bill Number: S2294
Sponsor: Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Legislative Session: 2006

Introduced on February 16 by Senators Boxer and Feinstein, the California Ocean and Coastal Waters Protection Act seeks permanent protection for California's world class ocean and coastal resources.  The bill would make permanent the annual Congressional moratorium on new oil and gas leasing and development off California's OCS.  It would also repeal the proposed inventory.  The bill does not try to address the buy back or retirement of the 36 active leases off the CA coast.

Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) has introduced a companion bill to the Boxer-Feinstein bill on the House side.

Status

Action Needed

Find out more about protecting our coasts and learn how to get involved.

Contact

Melinda Pierce
Senior Washington Representative, OCS and Arctic Issues
melinda.pierce@sierraclub.org
202-547-1141

Background

The OCS Moratorium:

In 1981, Congress protected America’s coasts, beaches, and marine ecosystems from the threats of oil and gas development when they adopted the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Moratorium.  The moratorium prevents the leasing of coastal waters for the purpose of fossil fuel development. Every year since then Congress has renewed the moratorium on new oil and gas development off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as Bristol Bay Alaska. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush authored an additional level of protection, and in 1998 Bill Clinton extended these protections and set them to expire 2012.  Now these protections are in danger of being weakened or overturned.  

Pro-drilling forces, with the help of powerful Congressional allies, are aggressively pushing bills that would undermine the moratoria that protect our coasts.  In 2005, drilling advocates were very successful in moving forward the debate to open our coasts to oil and gas drilling although they ultimately failed to change the policy.  These forces have vowed to renew their efforts, and we are already seeing their Congressional and administrative attacks.

Recent Threats to the OCS Moratorium:

• Spring 2005:  Governor Warner of Virginia vetoed the Offshore Drilling Bill (SB 1054), after the measure passed the Virginia Assembly.  SB 1054 would have directed the Virginia Congressional Liaison Office to aggressively pursue an exemption to the federal moratorium for natural gas exploration
• May 19^th, 2005:  Rep. John Peterson (R-PA) offered an amendment to allow offshore natural gas-only drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf as part of the FY 2006 Department of Interior appropriations bill. The Peterson amendment was soundly defeated in a 157-262 vote on the House floor. 
• May 26th, 2005: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the 2005 energy bill by a vote of 21-1 to send the measure to the Senate floor.   Senator Landrieu (D-LA) offered two amendments, one to do a natural gas inventory of the outer continental shelf, and one to reexamine the current revenue sharing arrangement. The inventory amendment was passed, but at Senator Domenici's (R-NM) suggestion Senator Landrieu withdrew her amendment to reconsider the revenue arrangement.  
• June 21, 2005:  Senators Martinez (R-FL), Nelson (R-FL), and Corzine (D-NJ) offered an amendment to strike the OCS seismic inventory language from the overall energy bill.  The amendment lost 44-52.
• August 2005: Congress approved the energy bill conference report (H.R. 6).  H.R. 6 includes the provision mandating an underwater seismic inventory of the entire outer continental shelf.
• November 15, 2005:  Rep. Peterson (R- PA) introduced the Outer Continental Shelf Natural Gas Relief Act (HR 4318) which would lift the OCS moratorium for natural gas leasing only.
• November 2005:   A provision that would immediately rescind the offshore oil and gas leasing moratorium was stripped from the Budget Reconciliation Package when a bloc of moderate Republicans voiced their objections.
• Fall 2005:  Congressman Pombo (CA-R) crafted a plan that offered a buffer zone for Florida’s coasts but not permanent coastal protection.  As well as not it would have lifted the federal OCS moratorium that covers the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and Bristol Bay Alaska. While allowing states to opt-in to protections.

Next Steps for Protecting our Coasts:

The Sierra Club strongly supports permanent protection for our beaches and coastal waters.  In Congress, the offshore moratorium has enjoyed strong bipartisan support throughout its 25-year existence. The push to drill off America's coasts has met with failure in virtually every case because overwhelming numbers of citizens, business interests, and legislators have been firm in their resolve to protect our fragile coasts and coastal economies.  But drillers keep banging on the door, and the oil and gas industry and their allies at all levels of government have America's coasts square in their sights.  Instead of drilling off our coasts, America needs real energy solutions, increased fuel efficiency, renewable resources like solar power, and polices that will help ensure our children are free from air and water pollution and our coastal economies are protected.