San Diego County Supervisors OK resolution opposing offshore drilling

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) - The San Diego County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution today opposing oil drilling off the coast of Southern California, following the Trump administration's plans to expand the practice.   

Put forward in a board letter by Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Terra Lawson-Remer, the resolution states that the board ``opposes any new or expanded offshore oil and gas drilling, and deep seabed mining, and urges federal and state decision-makers to permanently prohibit offshore drilling and deep seabed mining in all U.S. waters, including the Pacific Ocean off California.''

The proposal also calls for Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton ``to express the county's support for (United States) House of Representatives Bill 2862, the Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act,'' according to a board letter.   

Shelton would coordinate with Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Southern California counties on a ``unified, regional response needed to keep new oil drilling out of our coastal waters and protect our San Diego communities and local economy.''

The board voted 4-1 in favor of the resolution, with Supervisor Joel Anderson opposing.

On Nov. 20, the Trump administration announced that it will reopen ocean waters off the Pacific Coast to oil drilling leases, generating rapid opposition from California officials and environmentalists.  

The announcement by the U.S. Department of the Interior called it an effort to address the nation's ``growing energy needs'' and ``boost United States energy independence and sustain domestic oil and gas production.''   

The directive calls for the potential lease of 34 offshore drilling sites between 2026 and 2031 -- 21 off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Gulf of Mexico and six along the Pacific Coast.

During Tuesday's meeting, Aguirre said the resolution ``is about protecting the people we represent.''

``We have a responsibility to act,'' she said. ``We know this danger because we've lived it.''

Lawson-Remer said she was appalled by the federal drilling proposal, which she said was all so Donald Trump ``can pad the pockets of his rich CEO friends.''

Before voting, supervisors watched a video from Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Clemente, who is sponsoring the Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act. Levin's proposal calls for preventing ``new leasing for the exploration, development or production of oil or natural gas along the Southern California coast,'' according to his office. ``The shoreline isn't just scenery -- it's home for us,'' Levin said in the video.

Levin added the Pacific Coast doesn't have the low-cost oil reserves found in the Gulf of Mexico, and any oil found off California's shores would be minimal.

Supervisor Jim Desmond, who previously joined a coalition to oppose off-shore drilling, said he stood firmly with protecting the county's coastline.

``We already have a Tijuana sewage crisis,'' he added.  

''We don't need to add anything else bad to the water.''   

Along with its other benefits, the coastline is where thousands of military service members train, said Desmond, adding that ``the oil derricks are just ugly.''  

``Can you imagine taking a picture of a sunset, and you've got a nice oil deck there,'' he said.

Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said the proposed drilling was a concern with other coastal county officials she met at a recent gathering.   

``I think we're in good company,'' in terms of sentiment, she added.   

Most who spoke during public comment were in favor of the resolution.   

Peter Andersen, a Sierra Club official, said it was also important to move away from the use of fossil fuels, due to the climate change disruption.   

The coast ``is a precious, precious resource,'' and governmental leaders should oppose anything that threatens it, he added.   

During a Monday morning news conference on the harbor side of the county Administration Building, Aguirre and Lawson-Remer were joined by other opponents of offshore drilling, including an Imperial Beach business owner, an environmental group leader and a medical doctor.

Lawson-Remer, whose district includes a good chunk of the county's coastline, said the 1969 Santa Barbara disaster poured 4 million gallons of crude oil into area waters.

One oil spill ``can shut down an entire tourism industry,'' said Aguirre, citing the Santa Barbara disaster and a 2021 spill off the coast of Huntington Beach in Orange County.

The 2021 spill spread tar balls all the way down to San Diego beaches and ``it could happen again,'' Aguirre added.