Jared Huffman expresses support for climate initiatives
In a series of news releases over the past week, U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) expressed support for a variety of different initiatives in the midst of a new congressional session. On Tuesday, Huffman joined Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in introducing a bill that would permanently ban offshore drilling as well as joining other California representatives in applauding $29 million in grants for road repair after storms ravaged the state throughout January.
“Offshore drilling poses unacceptable risks, and the science and public opinion are clear: We should not put our oceans and fisheries, coastal communities, economies, and planet at risk just to enrich the fossil fuel industry,” said Huffman in a prepared statement. “The world is transitioning to a green, clean energy future — and it is past time that we ban new offshore drilling and shift our investments to safe, renewable energy sources.”
The statement cited the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara as one of the original reasons for California’s restrictive policy on offshore drilling. It was the largest oil spill in American history before being surpassed by the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, which occurred in Alaska while the ship was bound for California. The statement cited existing legislation in the wake of those spills such as when California blocked all new offshore oil drilling in state waters, up to three miles from the shore, after the Santa Barbara spill. The state prohibited new leasing in state waters with additional legislation in 1994.
Santa Barbara experienced another oil spill in 2015 after corrosion caused a pipe to burst. Of the seven oil platforms that used that pipeline, three of them were owned by ExxonMobil. The company subsequently sold the platforms at a loss. Exxon had punitive costs for the Valdez spill reduced from $5 billion initially awarded in Alaska court reduced to $100 million more than a decade later.
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By: Jake Matson
Source: Eureka Times Standard
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