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Home My WebLink About2018-04-10 - AGENDA REPORTS - OFFSHORE DRILLING (2)5 Agenda Item: 5 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: DATE: April 10, 2018 SUBJECT: OFFSHORE DRILLING RESOLUTION DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office PRESENTER: Masis Hagobian RECOMMENDED ACTION City a resolution on offshore drilling, modeled on the resolution adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and transmit letters to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Kamala Harris, Representative Steve Knight and the Secretary of The United States Department of Interior. BACKGROUND On April 28, 2017, President Trump directed, in an Executive Order, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the Department of Interior to develop a new National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2019-2024. No new offshore oil and gas leases have been granted off the coast of California since 1984. The California State Legislature passed the California Coastal Sanctuary Act in 1994, which officially removed all state lands underlying the Pacific Ocean from leasing consideration due to concerns of the potentially high risk of drilling on the coastal economy and marine life. Offshore lands under State jurisdiction, typically, extend three miles from the coast; beyond this distance is under Federal jurisdiction. A federal moratorium on new oil and gas drilling leases in federal waters off the coast of California was in place from 1984 to 2008. President George W. Bush terminated the moratorium in 2008, but no new leases were issued off the California coast following this termination. President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order reinstating the moratorium on new leases from December of 2016 through 2022. If approved, the draft National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program will replace the current 2016-2022 National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. In response to the Executive Order issued by President Trump, a new draft National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program was released on January 4, 2018. The draft proposes to make Page 1 Packet Pg. 27 5 approximately 90 percent of federal waters, including off the entire California coast, available to new oil and gas drilling leases. On January 16, 2018, Assembly Member Limon introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 29, which would provide that the State Legislature supports the current federal prohibition on new oil and gas drilling in federal waters offshore California and opposes the draft 2019-2024 National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing program. Additionally, the resolution urges Secretary Zinke to remove California from the proposed leasing program and request that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hold more than one public hearing on the proposed leasing program in the State of California to ensure adequate public participation. Assembly Joint Resolution 29 was chaptered by the Secretary of State on March 7, 2018, and Senator Scott Wilk, Senator Henry Stern, and Assembly Member Dante Acosta voted in support of the resolution, and no vote was recorded for Assembly Member Tom Lackey. th Eight Federal bills have been introduced in the 115 Congress related to the offshore drilling of oil and gas. On January 9, 2018, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Kamala Harris, along with more than three dozen U.S. Senators, signed a letter opposing the draft 2019-2024 National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing program. Representative Steve Knight has not publicly commented on the draft 2019-2024 National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing program. On February 13, 2018, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution in support of a ban on new oil and gas leases in all United States waters, including off the coast of California. Supervisor Barger voted in support of this motion. In addition to the draft resolution, attached is a letter from the Sierra Club in support of the City Council adopting a resolution prohibiting offshore drilling off the coast of California. The City Council Legislative Committee approved the letter to be included with this report at the March 19, 2018 Legislative Committee meeting. The City Council Legislative Committee recommends the City Council adopt a resolution on offshore drilling, modeled on the resolution adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and transmit letters to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Kamala Harris, Representative Steve Knight, and the Secretary of The United States Department of Interior. ALTERNATIVE ACTION 1. Do not adopt a resolution on offshore drilling 2. Revise and adopt the attached resolution on offshore drilling and transmit letters to Senator Feinstein, Senator Harris, Represenative Knight and the Secretary of The United States Department of Interior 3. Refer the resolution back to the Legislative Committee Page 2 Packet Pg. 28 5 4. Other direction, as determined by the City Council FISCAL IMPACT The resources required to implement the recommended action are contained within the City of Santa Clarita's adopted FY 2017-18 budget. ATTACHMENTS Resolution-Off Shore Drilling-2018 Sierra Club Letter Page 3 Packet Pg. 29 5.a RESOLUTION NO. 18- _______ RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, REGARDING OFFSHORE DRILLING WHEREAS the residents of the City of Santa Clarita, California, and coastal waters, which provide habitat to a vast array of wildlife, including fish, whales, sea turtles, and birds that depend on a healthy and clean environment; and WHEREAS, offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration off the Pacific Coast put these coastal resources, and the communities and industries that depend on them, at risk from oil spills and other damage; and WHEREAS, expanding offshore oil and gas drilling threaten coastal stakeholders, marine wildlife, human health, and climate; and WHEREAS, a massive oil spill in 1969 off the coast of Santa Barbara fouled coastal waters and caused catastrophic economic and environmental damage, and WHEREAS, in 2015 a pipeline servicing offshore oil platforms burst and fouled the same coastal areas, damaging wildlife and impacting recreational and commercial activities; and WHEREAS, the Trump administration is considering expanding offshore oil and gas leasing to new areas including the Pacific Coast; and WHEREAS, new federal offshore oil and gas leases have not been granted off the coast of California since 1984; and WHEREAS, the offshore oil industry is permitted to dump more than 9 billion gallons of wastewater into the Pacific Ocean every year including wastewater from fracking that may be laced with toxic chemicals that can harm human health and wildlife; and WHEREAS, the state of California prohibits new oil and gas leasing in state waters due to the unacceptably high risk of damage and disruption to the marine environment; and WHEREAS, the Governor of California, the Attorney General, the State Legislature, the State Lands Commission, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, along with several Attachment: Resolution-Off Shore Drilling-2018 (Offshore Drilling Resolution) cities, have taken a stand against new federal offshore oil and gas leases in the Pacific Ocean; and WHEREAS, expanding offshore drilling and other well stimulation off the California coast will deepen the state's dependence on fossil fuels and undermine its efforts to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving toward renewable energy. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita does hereby resolve as follows: Page 1 of 2 Packet Pg. 30 5.a SECTION 1. We support a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling in federal and state waters off the California coast. SECTION 2. We support no new federal oil and gas leasing in all U.S. waters, including off the coast of California. SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. th PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this __ day of ________ 2018. ______________________________ MAYOR ATTEST: _______________________________ CITY CLERK DATE:__________________________ STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) I, Mary Cusick, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita at a th regular meeting thereof, held on the __ day of ________ 2018, by the following vote: Attachment: Resolution-Off Shore Drilling-2018 (Offshore Drilling Resolution) AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: ______________________________ CITY CLERK Page 2 of 2 Packet Pg. 31 5.b Attachment: Sierra Club Letter (Offshore Drilling Resolution) Packet Pg. 32