Orange County Coastkeeper executive director and president Garry Brown kicks off Retiring Offshore Rigs with a welcome message. Next, Michelle Castillo, vice president of the Friends of Puvungna, leads the room in a land acknowledgment to remind the audience of the historic and unceded Indigenous lands that surround them.

Blue Latitudes Foundation Co-President Amber Sparks offers a comprehensive overview of offshore platform decommissioning in California. Her presentation served as the starting point for future panels throughout the day.

Marine biologists and an oiled wildlife expert present the impact of offshore rigs on marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Jeremy T. Claisse – Associate Professor, Cal Poly Pomona
Chris Lowe – Professor, Cal State Long Beach
Debbie McGuire – Executive Director, Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center

A moderated discussion between government agencies to address obstacles in the decommissioning process and highlight avenues for improvement.

Theresa Bell – Regional Supervisor, Office of Strategic Operations – BSEE Pacific Region
Gabrielle Crowe – Vice Chair, Gabrielino-Shoshone Tribal Council of Southern California
Jennifer Lucchesi – Executive Officer, CA State Lands Commission
Christopher Potter – Senior Environmental Scientist Specialist, California Department Fish and Wildlife, Marine Region
Richard Yarde – Regional Supervisor, Office of Environment – BOEM Pacific Region

Former CalEPA Secretary and President/CEO of AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles Terry Tamminen inspires a crowd of environmentalists, legislators, engineers, scientists, and petroleum executives with his keynote presentation at Retiring Offshore Rigs 2022.

Liability, cost, timeframe, and more will be elaborated upon by oil industry representatives and decommissioning consultants.

Robert C. Byrd – Senior Consultant, TSB Offshore, Inc.
Simon Poulter – Principal, Padre Associates Inc.
Cath Reheis-Boyd – President, Western States Petroleum Association

Speakers express their perspectives on decommissioning and brainstorm how communities can better influence the process.

Patricia Jovel Flores – Director, Orange County Environmental Justice
Damon Nagami – Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council
Chad Nelsen – Chief Executive Officer, Surfrider Foundation
Tom Raftican – President, The Sportfishing Conservancy

Decision-makers from different aspects of decommissioning reflect on questions, concerns, and barriers addressed earlier in the workshop and develop actionable next steps.

Jennifer Lucchesi – Executive Officer, CA State Lands Commission
Dave Min – Senator, California State Senate
Cottie Petrie-Norris – Assemblywoman, California State Assembly
Cath Reheis-Boyd – President, Western States Petroleum Association