ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Orange County Coastkeeper today announced its strong opposition to the Department of the Interior’s newly released Five-Year Offshore Drilling Plan, which proposes the first new oil and gas lease sales off the West Coast since 1984. The proposal calls for 13 new lease sales nationwide over the next five years, six of which would take place off California from 2027 to 2030.
“New drilling means more devastating oil spills,” said Garry Brown, Founder and President of Orange County Coastkeeper. “This is an intrinsically dangerous industry with a long record of catastrophic failures, like the Refugio Santa Barbara spill in 2015 and the Amplify Huntington Beach spill in 2021. Our coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies will pay the price while a single special interest reaps the benefits.”
Brown emphasized that the plan ignores both environmental reality and the will of California residents.
“This extreme drilling proposal is not in favor with California’s communities and voters,” he said. “Public polling shows broad bipartisan opposition to new offshore drilling because people across the political spectrum understand it’s wrong for the California coast. Offshore drilling devastates marine ecosystems, threatens coastal economies, and burdens taxpayers, with Californians gaining very little in return. We’ve seen the consequences time and again, most recently with the Platform Holly bankruptcy fiasco. Instead of addressing aging infrastructure and long-unresolved liabilities, the federal administration is doubling down. This isn’t progress; it’s a step backward.”
Coastkeeper leaders say the administration’s plan fails to provide the transparency and protections coastal communities deserve for the places where they live, work, and recreate.
Community Response: People’s Hearing on December 8
In response to the federal proposal, Orange County Coastkeeper is partnering with Surfrider Foundation, Oceana, and others to host the Orange County People’s Hearing on December 8 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Costa Mesa.
Community members will gather to defend Southern California from new offshore oil and gas development. The event will feature an educational presentation, words from local leaders and organizations, and opportunities for public engagement and comment. Visit tinyurl.com/sf-occk for more information.
