The legislation focused solely on the three oil leases in state waters adjacent to Orange County, not the 23 oil rigs in federal waters along the rest of California’s coastline. Min called offshore oil production a serious threat to California’s $44-billion-a-year coastal economy, as the October spill proved. “The California Senate is rightfully more concerned with actually improving the plight of workers and our environment than chasing headlines.”Meredith said Muratsuchi’s criticisms were misguided. Min’s bill would have required the State Lands Commission to conduct an amortization study of the three oil and gas leases in state waters. There are 11 active oil and gas leases in state waters along the California coast, all of which were granted drilling rights between 1938 and 1968.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 19, 2022 23:51 UTC