Inspired in part by two proposed projects located in the Cat Canyon Oil Field, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering whether to finalize a General Conservation Plan for Oil and Gas Activities in Santa Barbara County. The Plan covers 674,220 acres throughout the County, including coastal areas, and would open the door for more dirty fossil fuel energy generation in areas that support a mosaic of natural habitats for protected species.
As we remember the second anniversary of the Refugio oil spill (May 19,2015), it’s important to understand the important part played by the Environmental Defense Center. But let me digress for a moment to share my perspective on oil extraction in general.
It is hard to believe it has already been one month since the Plains All American Pipeline leaked more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil onto our precious Gaviota Coast, closing once pristine state parks and so far killing a minimum of 280 marine mammals and seabirds. EDC staff has been engaged on multiple fronts, doing essential legal research and investigation and advancing regional, statewide, and federal solutions to ensure our region never again has to face this kind of devastation.
More than any other industry, oil and gas companies have been provided with loopholes and exemptions from environmental laws, including nearly 95% of the oil wells drilled in Ventura County permitted between 20012 and 2014.