The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted today to lobby against a Trump administration proposal that would clear the way for oil drilling along U.S. coastal waters, including sites off Southern California.
Chairwoman Kristin Gaspar will send a letter urging President Donald Trump to reject any proposal that would allow offshore drilling in the waters off California due to concerns that it would endanger the state's economy and ecology. The letter will also be sent to the San Diego congressional delegation.The county will also lobby against drilling as part of its legislative agenda.
U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke last month proposed five-year leases for exploration of off-shore oil reserves, including sites stretching from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico, many of which have been closed to drilling since the mid-1980s.
California Governor Jerry Brown was quick to condemn the proposal, issuing a joint statement with the governors of Oregon and Washington calling the idea a reckless threat to the coastal environment. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, both D-Calif., also blasted the proposal.
San Diego County's supervisors in the past voted to oppose drilling off San Diego, but this is the first time they have voted to oppose drilling up and down the state's coastline and the first time they have included the opposition as part of their lobbying efforts.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors planned to consider a similar resolution.
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Source: CNS