The
U.S. Senate is poised to pass the Domenici-Martinez-Landrieu
Coastal Drilling Bill (SB 3711) and end a 25-year
moratorium on new offshore oil and gas drilling off the coast of Florida.
California’s coast has also been
protected by a moratorium on new offshore drilling and the passage of this
legislation moves us one step closer to losing that protection. Earlier this month, the U.S. House passed a
bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo (Tracy, CA), that threatens to open
the coast of California to increased
drilling. That bill is now ready to be
merged with the Senate bill, SB 3711.
Instead of working to open our beaches
to oil and gas drilling, Congress should pursue real solutions to our energy
problems, including energy efficiency, renewable energy and making our cars go
farther on a gallon of gas.
We
would, however, like to take this opportunity to thank Senators Barbara Boxer
and Dianne Feinstein for leading the fight to protect our coast from oil and
gas drilling and voting against this harmful legislation.
