Schiff, Carbajal Lead 15 Colleagues in Demanding Answers on the Trump Administration’s Influence in Restarting Oil Drilling Operations Off Santa Barbara Coast

Schiff, Carbajal Lead 15 Colleagues in Demanding Answers on the Trump Administration's Influence in Restarting Oil Drilling Operations Off Santa Barbara Coast

"As America has experienced throughout its history-such as the Exxon Valdez, Deepwater Horizon, and California oil spills-the risk to the economy and the environment from oil spills is simply too great for hasty decisions that do not comprehensively take into account science or state and federal law."

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Congressman Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), and members of the California congressional delegation demanded answers from the Trump administration on its involvement in Sable Offshore Corporation's attempts to restart offshore oil drilling using the same pipelines that caused the Refugio State Beach oil spill of 2015.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)'s Principal Deputy Director Kenneth Stevens, the lawmakers requested information on what actions BSEE has taken to help Sable restart the project and question whether BSEE ignored their environmental responsibilities.

"It is unclear whether the Trump administration bought into the company's inaccurate statements or whether BSEE's July 25 statement references different information entirely. BSEE's July 25 statement also calls into question whether the Bureau had received accurate information from the company when the Bureau decided to issue 10 approvals for well modification permits for Sable in July," the lawmakers wrote.

"Ensuring safety and reducing the environmental impact of oil production in the OCS are BSEE responsibilities, and they require careful consideration. As America has experienced throughout its history-such as the Exxon Valdez, Deepwater Horizon, and California oil spills-the risk to the economy and the environment from oil spills is simply too great for hasty decisions that do not comprehensively take into account science or state and federal law," the lawmakers concluded.

The lawmakers emphasized how in addition to a series of misleading statements asserting that oil production has resumed, Sable has blatantly disobeyed directives from California agencies that are required for offshore oil and pipeline operations in the state.

In addition to Schiff, Carbajal, Padilla, and Huffman, the letter was signed by U.S. Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.-30), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.-36), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Dave Min (D-Calif.-47), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Luz Rivas (D-Calif.-29), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32), and Derek Tran (D-Calif.-45).

The full text of the letter can be found here

• Print
• Email
• Tweet