Oil drilling off our California coast

The impact on marine wildlife proved catastrophic — killing over 3,600 ocean-feeding seabirds, according to wildlife rescuers who provided aid at the scene. It was reported that the oil poisoned marine mammals such as dolphins by clogging their blowholes, with other marine life such as sea lions, and whales being among those that perished.

Local residents and University of Santa Barbara students worked for weeks spreading and collecting large amounts of straw to soak up the oil, and more than 5,200 truckloads of contaminated debris were taken to landfills. Other efforts included burning the oil, steam-cleaning and vacuuming beach areas, and applying chemical dispersants, all with varying degrees of effectiveness. Media coverage of the spill was extensive — television, radio and print outlets across the nation reported on the event, and then President Nixon visited the site, citing the incredible disaster that occurred. It was the largest of several oil disasters on our coast and cost Californians millions of dollars with small contributions from our government.

This disaster helped create the development of major environmental laws and institutions in the United States, including the National Environmental Policy Act, signed on Jan. 1, 1970, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which was established in late 1970. The spill is further credited with galvanizing notable state laws, including the California Environmental Quality Act (California’s state-level counterpart to NEPA).

It is important that we reflect on this incident and the damage our coast has endured in light of recent news from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which has announced plans proposing the sale of new leases for offshore drilling in federal waters, including several leases off the coast of California extending all the way down to San Diego.

Environmental and responsible people have expressed concerns that these plans threaten California’s coastal resources, wildlife and economy, citing the Santa Barbara spill as evidence of the disasters that can unfold. Among California citizens, the prospect of offshore drilling is widely unpopular across party lines, with some polls showing that more than 70% of people in coastal districts oppose offshore drilling projects.

From an economic and social standpoint, the risks of offshore drilling far exceed any benefits. Reports indicate that coastal drilling makes up only 2% of ocean-dependent jobs. The Santa Barbara oil spill proved especially detrimental to California’s coastal economy, suspending all fishing operations off the coast and devastating tourism while costly remediation was underway for months.

California legislators have similarly positioned themselves against these proposed plans. Gov. Newsom, among others, have promised to block new drilling projects off the coastline, with Newsom publicly dismissing the proposed plan as “dead on arrival.”

Regardless of party alignment, it is critical that we remain aware of the risks offshore drilling imposes upon our state and the importance of safeguarding our coastal ecosystems. It requires rejecting potentially devastating energy policies like those coming out of our current administration and the oil giants — for their personal profit. Only by learning from past disasters can we prevent history from repeating itself along California’s shores. It is not about politics — it is about our state and coastal environment — not to mention the devastation to sea lions, whales, fish and coastal wildlife. Our community should stand together on this critical issue.

Joseph W. Cotchett is an attorney and is in the California and the American Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame. He has handled a number of environmental cases and has been honored by the California League of Conservation Voters with the Environmental Leadership Award. He is a former national president of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice and received a B.S. in Engineering from Cal Poly and his J.D. from the University of California Law, San Francisco. He served in the U.S. Army Special Forces and JAGC and was awarded the distinguished Legion of Merit for his service.