[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S56]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
        Merkley, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Booker, 
        Mr. Markey, and Mr. Sanders):
  S. 22. A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to 
permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer 
Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington; 
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I rise today to introduce the West 
Coast Ocean Protection Act, legislation that would prohibit new oil or 
natural gas leases in federal waters off the coast of California, 
Oregon, and Washington.
  I am pleased to be joined today by Senators Padilla, Wyden, Merkley, 
Murray, Cantwell, Menendez, Booker, Markey, and Sanders in introducing 
this bill, which is critically important to protecting the west coast 
from additional oil spills.
  Californians know all too well the devastating effects of oil spills. 
In 1969, a well blowout on an offshore rig spilled an estimated 3 
million gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of 
Santa Barbara. At the time, it was the worst oil spill in U.S. history 
and was catastrophic to the local environment and marine life, closing 
beaches, harming the economy, and killing thousands of birds, fish, and 
marine mammals.
  After the Santa Barbara disaster, California had enough. The State 
blocked all new offshore drilling in state waters and in 1994 enacted a 
permanent offshore drilling ban. Through local ordinances, 
congressional opposition, and Presidential moratoria, no new drilling 
in Federal waters off California has been allowed since 1984.
  Unfortunately, Californians are still confronting the impacts from 
ongoing offshore drilling operations. In October 2021, a ruptured 
pipeline spilled more than 25,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific 
Ocean and onto the beaches of Orange County. Despite numerous alarms, 
operators allowed oil to flow from the leak for over 14 hours. It was 
absolutely devastating.
  The spill covered more than 8,000 acres of the ocean's surface and 
required more than a week of cleanup. In that time, local businesses 
suffered, fisheries shuttered, and crews worked to remove harmful oil 
and tar balls from sensitive wildlife habitat.
  Despite the harm caused to individuals and businesses in the 
community, the operator has been given permission to repair the 
pipeline and begin drilling again, exposing the California coastline to 
the risk of yet another accident.
  California's coastal and ocean economies are engines of growth that 
support millions of jobs and generate significant economic activity for 
the State and Nation. Because of the unique nature of the west coast 
ocean shelf, any new potential drilling would occur near the coastline 
and directly threaten the environment and robust economy.
  Beyond that, we are currently in the midst of a historic offshore 
energy transition. This past December, a successful auction was held 
for five offshore wind energy areas off the California coast, paving 
the way for a new floating wind industry. At the same time, the Federal 
Government has begun a programmatic review of decommissioning oil and 
gas platforms in the Pacific to prepare for their eventual removal. The 
era of offshore oil and gas production in the Pacific is coming to a 
close, and it is long overdue.
  It is time to respect the view of California and our fellow west 
coast States by passing the West Coast Ocean Protection Act permanently 
ban offshore drilling and protect the Pacific coast for generations to 
come.
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