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Home My WebLink About13 - H.R. 1036 - Opposition to Development of Offshore0 0 ITEM 13 TO: Members of the Newport Beach City Council FROM: Dave Kiff, Assistant to the City Manager SUBJECT: City Support of H.R. 1036 (Capps) relating to Opposing Development of Offshore Oil Leases on the Outer Continental Shelf RECOMMENDED ACTION: Authorize Mayor to sign letter in support of H.R. 1036 (Capps). BACKGROUND: Offshore oil drilling has always been extremely controversial in California. With few exceptions, most elected officials - Republican and Democrat alike -have opposed further development of offshore platforms because of the potential for environmental harm from an accident and because of view impairments. Drilling in Federal and Thirty-two oil platforms operate along the California coastline today, with 23 in State Waters Federal waters (more than 3 miles offshore) and nine in State waters (within the 3 -mile limit). Together, the platforms produce about 200,000 barrels of oil daily. The 23 platforms in Federal waters extract oil from 43 areas "leased" by the US government to the oil companies that operate the platforms. About 2 /3rds of the oil within these leases -900 million gallons or so -- has already been removed. Another 40 lease areas -off of the Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo county coastline -have been leased to oil companies but are yet to be "developed" with platforms and related oil lines and equipment. Experts estimate that these 40 untapped lease areas contain about 1 billion gallons of oil and an "almost infinite' amount of natural gas. Moratoria In 1994, California Governor Pete Wilson signed AB 2444 (O'Connell) which permanently banned all new oil and gas exploration or drilling within State waters (to three miles out). Similarly, President Clinton issued an Executive Order in 1995 that blocked new leasing activity until at least 2012. Executive orders, however, are revocable at any time. Opponents to new offshore drilling have long advocated a permanent moratorium on drilling in federal waters (also known as the Outer Continental Shelf or "OCS "), but have only been successful in applying a year - to-year ban due to continued opposition to a more permanent ban in the US House of Representatives. Here is a summary of the current moratoriums and bans: Area Type of Ban Term What it Means ... state waters Moratorium Indefinite No new drilling or leasing Federal waters Executive Order to 2012 No new leasing activity OCS (federal waters) Moratorium One year No new leasing activity Central CA Coast Moratorium to August 1999 No drilling Newport Beach City Council Page 2 BACKGROUND: The Executive Order and the annual OCS moratorium apply only to new leasing (cont'd) activity. From 1969 to 1984, the Federal government issued the 40 leases noted . above in Central California -the issue dates mean that the leases are exempt from the Executive Order and available for development. COOGER Study Prior to authorizing development of these 40 leases, the US Materials Management Service (within the US Department of the Interior) and the oil industry spent $1.5 million to complete the California Offshore Oil and Gas Energy Resources ( "COOGER ") Study. The Study was intended to address environmental concerns associated with drilling in the 40 areas and to identify optimal sites for new platforms. While the Study was underway, US MMS banned new oil exploration at all of the 40 leases. On August 16,1999, this ban will expire and companies will be free to begin preliminary planning for new platform development. H.R. 1036 (Capps) As this date approaches, many anti - drilling organizations and individuals, including Governor Gray Davis, have actively opposed any drilling activity or preparation in the Study area. Meanwhile, US Congresswoman Lois Capps (D- Santa Barbara) has introduced H.R. 1036 which directs the Secretary of the Interior to "cease mineral leasing activity on any OCS land where a state has imposed a state moratorium on such activity. If enacted into law, H.R. 1036 would block the development of the 40 leases in the CODGER Study. Where Newport Beach In 1996, the City of Newport Beach coordinated the formation of the California Comes in ... Local Government Coalition, an association of cities and counties united to work to extend a moratorium on offshore oil drilling along the California Coast. The Coalition grew to include about 20 California counties and cities, from Mendocino County in the north to the cities of Del Mar in the south. Partially as a result of the Coalitions efforts, the US Congress renewed the annual moratorium on drilling in federal waters during a particularly contentious time -most offshore drilling opponents believed that the moratorium would expire due to opposition by key members of Congress. The Coalitions 1996 success in continuing the moratorium surprised many. City's Legislative As adopted by the City Council in February 1999, the City's 1999 Legislative Platform ... Platform directs the City to: "Pursue legislative and executive action to continue the annual Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore petroleum drilling moratorium and pursue the establishment of a permanent wildlife preserve off the Orange County Coast." As the state's coastal cities joined in solidarity to support the annual continuation of the OCS Moratorium in 1996, the attached letter from Mayor O'Neil indicates the City of Newport Beach's solidarity with jurisdictions in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties by offering the City's formal support of H.R. 1036 (Capps). ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A -Draft Letter in Support of H.R. 1036 (Capps) Attachment B - Summary of H.R. 1036 Attachment A July 13, 1999 Honorable Lois Capps Member of the US House of Representatives, 22nd District Longworth House Office Building, Room 1118 New Jersey and Independence Avenue, SE Washington, D.C. 20515 RE: SUPPORT FOR H.R. 1036 Dear Representative Capps: Page 3 Given the recent actions by the US Materials Management Service (US MMS) that may lead to a removal of the ban on offshore oil drilling within the 40 lease areas identified in the California Offshore Oil and Gas Energy Resources Study (the " COOGER" Study), the City of Newport Beach is pleased to offer its formal support for your H.R. 1036. As you are aware, the measure would prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from conducting any leasing activity on submerged land of the Outer Continental Shelf that is adjacent to California or other states that have enacted moratoria on offshore mineral leasing. Our city is not directly impacted by the actions of US MMS relating to the COOGER Study lease areas -but as a coastal city that treasurers its shoreline and marine resources, we share the concerns of jurisdictions in Central California that additional drilling off the California coast is both unnecessary and potentially very dangerous for both the coastal ecosystem and the coastal economy. Thank you for your sponsorship of this measure. Please use this letter of support for H.R. 1036 in any manner in which you deem appropriate. Sincerely, IV Malr IV DENNIS D. O'NEIL Mayor of Newport Beach cc Members of the Newport Beach City Council US Representative Chris Cox US Representative Dana Rohrabacher Page 1 of THIS SEARCH THIS DOC=NT GO TO Next Hit Forward New Bills Search Prev Hit Back HomePaae Hit List Best Sections Help Doc Contents GPO's PDF version of this bill References to this bill in the I Congressional Record Link to the Bill Summary & Status file. Full Dis la - 2,352 ytes.[Hel Coastal States Protection Act (Introduced in the House) HR 1036 I 106th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1036 To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to cease mineral leasing activity on submerged land of the Outer Continental Shelf that is adjacent to a coastal State that has declared a moratorium on such activity, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 9,1999 Mrs. CAPPS (for herself, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. FARR of California, Ms. ESHOO, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. ROYBAL- ALLARD, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. FILNER, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. STARK, Ms. LEE, Mr. BILBRAY, Ms. WATERS, Mr. DIXON, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mrs. CHRISTIAN- CHRISTENSEN, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, and Mr. UNDERWOOD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources A BILL To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to cease mineral leasing activity on submerged land of the Outer Continental Shelf that is adjacent to a coastal State that has declared a moratorium on such activity, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, http:// thomas. loc. gov /cgi- bin/query/z ?c106:H.R.1036: 6/30/99 LJ E 0 0 0 Page 2 of 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the 'Coastal States Protection Act'. SEC. 2. STATE MORATORIA ON OFFSHORE MINERAL LEASING. Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337) is amended by adding at the end the following: '(p) STATE MORATORIA - When there is in effect with respect to lands beneath navigable waters of a coastal State a moratorium on oil, gas, or other mineral exploration, development, or production activities established by statute or by order of the Governor, the Secretary shall not issue a lease for the exploration, development, or production of minerals on submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf that are seaward of or adjacent to those lands.'. THIS SEARCH THIS DOCUMENT GO TO Next Hit Forward New Bills Search Prev Hit Back HomeP84e Hit List Best Sections Help Doc Contents http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?cl 06M.R. 1036: 6/30/99