California's proposed offshore drilling ban would only shutter 3 rigs

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A California bill could end offshore drilling for the state, though drilling further out in federal waters near the coast would still continue. SB953 seeks a “relinquishment of the leases and termination of all oil and gas production associated with these leases” from the companies still in operation. The bill was brought forth by state Sen. Dave Min in the wake of the October 2021 oil spill near Huntington Beach in which a pipeline running from the Port of Long Beach to Platform Elly ruptured, sending 25,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean. The bill cleared the Natural Resources and Water Committee on Tuesday and has been re-referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, so it could be a while before SB953 moves any closer to becoming law.

Once passed, it could take at least a yearn and a half before drilling ceases. Though 11 leases are active in state waters, just three offshore oil and gas platforms remain. The bill would not impact the 23 platforms in federal waters, which includes Platform Elly. Advocates nonetheless believe that SB953 could send a strong message were it to become law. “The only way to prevent more oil-related disasters like the one we experienced in October of 2021 is to transition off of fossil fuels as quickly as possible,” Natural Resources Defense Council Director of California Government Affairs Victoria Rome said in a press release. “SB 953 allows for negotiations with the industry on how to voluntarily relinquish their state leases. If an agreement can’t be reached, the bill requires termination of those leases with fair compensation provided to the leaseholders.”

According to a poll conducted in the wake of the spill, a full 70% of Californians oppose more offshore oil drilling. Though a recent Phys.org piece contended that SB953 could prove costly for residents, Sen. Min assured Spectrum News 1 that “it won’t affect oil prices even a cent.” There is also precedent to limiting offshore drilling, most recently with Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach tightening restrictions. But it was the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill that truly changed the way the California coastline looked in the wake of a major disaster, prompting the California State Lands Commission to place a moratorium on offshore drilling in state waters. The disaster even inspired the first Earth Day, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

There is absolutely a chance that actions inspired by the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill could further strengthen the movement against drilling, though there is still an uphill battle to be fought against federal offshore drilling, to say nothing of the oil and gas drilling still occurring on California’s lands. Some movement has been made on a local level, such as Los Angeles’ ban of any new oil and gas wells and its commitment to phase out old wells within five years. But last year’s ban of oil and gas wells from being drilled within 3,200 feet of schools is comparatively weak in terms of environmental justice and true climate change mitigation.