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Good evening, Council. My name is Grant Bixby. I'm a resident since 1994, a
local business owner, and member of the Business Alliance to Protect the
Pacific Coast. BAPPC is a coalition of over 7,500 businesses on the west coast—
many members in Newport Beach—who believe offshore oil & gas development
is bad for business.
I'm here as a businessperson to advocate for the City Council to support a
resolution opposing offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration activities off
our shores.
Why now?
The federal government has opened our coast to new offshore oil exploration
and drilling leases. This means that we could see new oil rigs popping up off
Corona del Mar, Crystal Cove, and the Balboa Peninsula. As a local real estate
broker, I don't know a single client or Newport Beach resident who wants to see
that happen.
Imagine if this recent spill happened at the beginning of summer. Imagine if it
were larger in scope—no Jr. Guards, no regattas, the harbor shut down for an
extended period, beach tourism ground to a halt, and severe economic
disruption. It's sad to say, but we got lucky this time. NOW is the time for
action.
Why the Newport Beach City Council?
1.) The Bureau of Ocean & Energy Management considers the sentiment of
residents and local & regional officials when evaluating lease proposals.
Absent formal opposition, these leases get APPROVED. You don't want
that to happen on your watch.
2.) There is currently pending federal legislation to ban expanded offshore
oil drilling in the SoCal Planning area, as well as an upcoming
appropriations process that will allocate funds to protect Southern
California. Such a resolution from you will help those efforts succeed.
3.) Lastly, because you've done it effectively before. In 1978 the Newport
Beach City Council OPPOSED Lease Sale #48. This letter signed by
former Mayor Paul Ryckoff states, "The City of Newport Beach is on
record in strong opposition to any oil or gas exploration and
development. The most immediate impact on our City is the possible
destruction or degradation of the coastline by an oil spill occurring
offshore either from a pipeline or a platform."
I submit to the Clerk and Council for the record a DRAFT resolution along with
a copy of the City of Newport Beach letter, and I ask that the Council place this
resolution on the next meeting's agenda.
This resolution costs us nothing, benefits all Newport Beach residents and
visitors, and protects our businesses. Thank you for your time and
consideration.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH PROTECTING OUR
OCEAN AND COAST FROM OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS DRILLING AND EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES
THE NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AND FINDS AS FOLLOWS:
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach and its visitors enjoy California's beaches and the Pacific Ocean
for recreational and commercial activities, all of which support our local economy; and
WHERAS, our city's residents value our state's ocean and coastal waters, which provide habitat to a vast
array of wildlife, including fish, whales, sea turtles, and birds that depend on a healthy and clean
environment; and
WHEREAS, in California hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of the state's gross
domestic product depend on clean water, oil -free beaches, and abundant fish and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, offshore oil and gas drilling places coastal communities at economic and ecological risk from
oil spills and the pollution brought by routine drilling operations, threatening the lives and livelihoods of
small business owners, particularly commercial and recreational fisherman; and
WHEREAS, a massive oil spill in 1969 off the coast of Santa Barbara fouled coastal waters and caused
catastrophic economic and environmental damage; and
WHEREAS, in 1990 over 400,000 gallons of oil were spilled in Huntington Beach waters from an oil
tanker, closing beaches and causing ecological devastation and massive revenue losses for coastal area
businesses; and
WHEREAS, in May 2015, a pipeline ruptured near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County and
spilled oil into the Pacific Ocean, with oil reaching as far south as Orange County, damaging wildlife,
closing beaches, and impacting recreational and commercial activities; and
WHEREAS, a major spill off Newport Beach in October 2021 dumped over 100,000 gallons of oil into
coastal waters, resulting in beach closures, impacting recreational and commercial activities, and causing
significant environmental and economic damage; and
WHEREAS, the Biden administration has resumed lease sales for offshore oil and gas drilling without
protecting the Pacific coast from new and expanded offshore drilling; and
WHEREAS, the state of California prohibits new oil and gas leasing in state waters due to the
unacceptably high risk of damage and disruption to the marine environment; and
WHEREAS, the Governor of California, the State Senate, the State lands Commission, and several
cities, have taken a stand against new federal offshore oil and gas leases in the Pacific Ocean, and
several municipalities have called for a ban on offshore drilling; and
WHEREAS, expanding offshore drilling off the California coast will deepen the state's dependence on
fossil fuels and undermine its efforts to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and moving toward renewable energy;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, that
the City of Newport Beach supports (1) a permanent ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling, fracking,
and other well stimulation in federal and state waters off the California coast, and (2) no new federal oil
and gas leasing in all U.S. waters, including off the coast of California.
The Clerk shall forward a copy of this Resolution to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, California
Governor Gavin Newsom, U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, as well as U.S.
Congressional and state representatives for Newport Beach and any other interested parties.
�2tiyC.�D�N`r - �--eTl-�Y�- br D�1(1DSIT fc��
I
CITY OF NEWPORT,BEACH
i,
.;'-vWtber 9. 1979
Manager Pacific OCS Office
lWrBau of Land VanAgerent
390 North Los lsnfaeles 5t., Bow++ 71?7
Los Angeles. California 9nf112
5x."B,JECT: Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale 04$
)1) I have boon authorized by the Newport Beach City CoLmcil to respond to .your
request for convents on the proposed Southern California OCS Lease Sale No. 48,
The City of Newport- heath is on record in strofig opposition to any oil or pas
eAwloration and developmarrt in the flirter Continental Shelf off the Southern
California Coastline primarily becausie of the potential devastating effect
on the coastal ®nrirowtot.
I?) f)n July 26. 1976, the City of Newport Beach went on record as specifically
opposing TICS Lease Sale #48, in a letter to the t7lrector of the Bureau of Land
Management. The City continues to oppose OCS Lease sale 048.
131 '"Part Beath Is one of the Nost renowned regional recreational areas In
Southern California. The a *aches. bays a" harbors are indeed a valuable
Public resource which nu5t be protected. We dispute the wisdom of prix. gedinp
with ()CS development when many serious environvental quitstions inherent in off-
shore drilling remain unanswered. The roost imrodiate inpact an o1Jr City is the
possible destruction or degradation of the coastline by an ail spill occurring
offshore either frn- a pipeline or a platform.
)4) We believe that the proposed Lease Sale ROCS 048) should be postponed until
technoloaica1 advances have been developed which wfli preclude the destruction
of our cost valuable publ.0 (*Creational resource, ile sugoest that tore are rany
energy sources which are economically and environmentally preferable, alternativts
to M development,
Very truly yours,
Q
f �.cl�_
ilaul Rytktr t f cc, Members of City Council
iiayo r City Mtanagrr
City Clerk
PR'Idt City Attorney
Orange County. CAO
1712
Atte: Paul Raver
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BAPPC
AGRINN
Our Business Community on Offshore Oil Drilling...
"The surfing industry" along with other U.S. industries and wildlife that would be negatively
impacted by expanded offshore drilling, need reassurances that we won't be dealing with oil spills
in the future. The only way to guarantee that is to scrap the federal offshore drilling program. ""
--Paul Naude, Vissla Founder and President of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, which
represents more than 300 surf industry suppliers
My clients who own and operate vacation rentals and depend on that income for their livelihoods
have received bulk cancellations immediately following the oil spill and going out for months. And
property owners throughout coastal Orange County now have their main source of recreation
completely shut down. Its devastating to their pocketbooks, their property values, and their
physical and emotional health. "
--Grant Bixby, Principal Broker, Bixby Residential Group @ COMPASS
Yve seen a dramatic cut to my surfboard rentals since the oil spill and that will continue for weeks,
maybe months. And its not just the ocean -related businesses herein Newport that are suffering
but all tourism -related businesses as well. "
--Peter Belden, Owner, The Board Club
"lt s going to be devastating. We "re going to have to brace ourselves for a really nasty couple of
weeks here. "
--Ryan Lawler, Owner, Newport Coastal Adventures
"The pattern over the past 52 years is clear - oil spills have been taking place in San Francisco,
Santa Barbara and Huntington Beach - validating that where we drill, we spill. The recent spill is
another unfortunate wake up call that we need to move towards clean energy to avoid ecological
and economic disasters like what is happening along Orange County's vibrant coastal region. "
--Vipe Desai, Founder, BAPPC, which represents over 7,500 business members
"Not only are we shutting down today, but our beautiful beach we "re so passionate about has
been damaged. More importantly, the beautiful dolphins and marine life out there are swimming in
oil. It "s so disturbing. "
--Alicia Whitney, Restauranteur, Huntington Beach
4i BAPPC
Good for the Economy.
Good for the Environment.
ORANGE COUNTY'S OCEAN ECONOMY
Offshore oil drilling is economic risk: the tui
spill will have a major impact on Orange County's ocean
economy and the tens of thousands of local jobs that
What' s at risk:
iD 4.1 Billion and 57,348 Jobs
Documented value of Orange County, s ocean economy, g y o y, including tourism,
recreation, construction and fishing industries (not including oil and gas), along
with the number of employees in those sectors
2.7 Billion and 47,421 Jobs
is
Value of Orange County, s ocean tourism and recreation economy,
along with the number of employees in those sectors
California' s coastal economy generates $54.3 billion in economic activity and
supports 654,000 jobs. As we, re witnessing with the spill off of Orange
County, offshore oil drilling puts that prosperity at risk, directly impacting the
future of hotels, restaurants, tour operators, commercial fishing operations and
the livelihoods of Californians statewide.
www.e2.org
Created October 2021
Sources: Ocean Economy Data: National Ocean Economics Program; http://www.oceaneconomtcs.org/Market/ocean/oceanEcon.asp - data from 2018;
California Ocean Economy Data: Oceania; Oceana.org/jobsandDollars
Huntington Beach Economic Impact Data: The Economic Impact of Tourism in Huntinaton Beach A (September 01 ); Photo credits:
Damon Nagani.
I�
Good for the Economy.
Good for the Environment.
"It's a huge environmental impact and it's an economic impact both in terms of the cleanup and
shutting down a major tourist destination during a pandemic when we've all been struggling.
It's a tragedy on all fronts."
-Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley
(Los Angeles Times, Oct. 2, 2021)
"Not only are we shutting down today, but our beautiful beach we're so passionate about has been
damaged. More importantly, the beautiful dolphins and marine life out there swimming in oil.
It's so disturbing "
-Alicia Whitney, restaurateur, Huntington State Beach
(Orange County Register, Oct. 3, 2021)
"It's going to be devastating. We're going to have to brace ourselves for a
really nasty couple of weeks here. l don't know how they are going to clean it up."
-Ryan Lawler, owner, Newport Coastal Adventure
(The (San Bernardino) Sun, Oct. 4, 2021)
HUNTINGTON BEACH SNAPSHOT: What' s at risk
e 2,500 hotel rooms; 23 properties
• $565 million in direct spending by visitors
• $736 million in direct/indirect spending by visitors
• $91 million in tax revenues from tourism
• 6,900 jobs related to tourism (I out of every 16 jobs in Huntington Beach.)
DUE TO 01L SP►ll
YHE WATER
IS CLOSED
THANK
YOU
Sources: Ocean Economy Data: National Ocean Economics Program; http://www.oceaneconomics.org/Market/ocean/oceanEcon.asp - data from 2018;
California Ocean Economy Data: Oceana; Oceana.org/jobsandDollars
Huntington Beach Economic Impact Data: The Economic Impact of Tourism in H ntino on Beach A (September 2019); Photo credits:
Damon Nagani.