Eshoo Votes Against Oil Drilling Off California Coast

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) voted Wednesday to oppose ramping up oil drilling along the West and East coasts and in Bristol Bay, Alaska, her office announced Thursday.

The bill, H.R. 6082, would require oil and gas leasing in those areas as well as rushing new offshore leasing in the Arctic.

 “I’m strongly opposed to this bill, as I have been with all the other Big Oil bills which unnecessarily put at risk huge areas of public lands to oil drilling, including areas in California,” Rep. Eshoo said. “We should be considering a broader spectrum of solutions to address our nation’s energy needs. Perpetually debating the merits of risky offshore oil drilling operations along our nation’s coastlines only keeps Big Oil profiting and the American people without energy alternatives.” 

If passed, the bill would negate proper environmental review of offshore drilling in ocean water by forcing the Department of Interior to conduct a single multi-sale Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for these areas, according to Eshoo’s office. Typically, these kinds of documents are produced for single, specific areas at a time, each with its own unique set of conditions. Under the proposal, however, the Department would only be able to conduct one single review for all the suggested drilling areas.

 
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