Supervisors Vote 3-2 to Request More Oil Exploration, Drilling
The Board of Supervisors will send a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asking for his support to lift moratorium.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 3-2 to send a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger requesting a policy change that would allow for more oil and gas exploration and extraction in the region.
Supervisors Joe Centeno, Brooks Firestone and Joni Gray voted for the measure while Supervisors Salud Carbajal and Janet Wolf voted against it.
Citing economic concerns, an increase in unemployment, and fears that the nation’s petroleum shortage may at some point cause the federal government to preempt local policies, the newly revised letter pushes for a “gradual and intelligent expansion of oil exploration,” and urges “a broader energy policy that incorporates review of other viable energy resources, systems and technologies.”
While consensus in the board’s Santa Maria hearing room was that Santa Barbara County needed to expand its energy portfolio and encourage the use of alternative and renewable forms of energy, pro- and anti-drilling advocates were divided about the role oil and gas exploration should play in the meantime.
“Where do we want to be in 2030?” asked Linda Krop of the Environmental Defense Center, citing a 2007 Energy Department report that concluded projected benefits from drilling from new offshore wells wouldn’t be realized until 2030, given permitting, construction and development.
“Do we want to be starting new drilling in 2030? And perpetuating all the issues that we’re dealing with now?”
Meanwhile, drilling proponents argued, among other things, that allowing for drilling could keep gas prices from rising further should Congress lift the current moratorium.
“There seems to be a clear correlation between a decrease in excess supply and an increase in crude oil prices,” said David Hackett of Stillwater Associates energy consultants.
In the end, the money that was represented by increased offshore drilling — in terms of jobs, revenues and stable prices at the pump — was what did it for the majority.
“I represent the 5th Supervisorial District,” said Centeno, whose district includes Santa Maria, New Cuyama, Cuyama and Ventucopa. “And I would venture to say that I have the poorest constituency in Santa Barbara County ... These are the individuals who have to drive from their homes to the fields on a daily basis, these are the people who have to pay the big dollars to fuel their automobiles. And I have a responsibility to make sure they’re thought of.”
In dissent, Carbajal and Wolf sent their own letter to Schwarzenegger expressing their support for his support of the drilling ban.
“We believe the real challenge before us is the need to work at the local, state and federal level to address global climate change and invest in renewable fuels and energy,” they wrote.
It is unclear what effect, if any, the board’s request to Schwarzenegger will have; last month, he reiterated his opposition to drilling. Meanwhile, unless Congress acts to lift it, the federal moratorium on offshore exploration and extraction remains in effect.
Noozhawk staff writer Sonia Fernandez can be reached at .
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 03:41 AM
As a native Santa Barbaran, I’m deeply ashamed over this vote. America is addicted to oil. The cure is to go cold turkey, not raid Mom’s purse. After the oil companys rape the ocean and over charge us for that priveledge, we’ll be back to paying Middle Eastern despots money for their terrorist war against us. One thing not mentioned in any news is Santa Barbara always had higher gas prices than anyplace in the nation - $2 a gallon back in 1995. It was cheaper to drive to Ventura to fill up. And that’s with the off shore drilling that was already there AND an oil refinery just down the road.
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 07:51 AM
The most disturbing thing about this is that Carbajal and Wofe “sent their own letter” expressing the support for the moratorium. Since when do our elected officials think that they can ignore the democratic process and majority rule? If that statement is true, they should be recalled for their intentional rejection of the democratic process. I believe they took an oath upon becoming supervisors that they have now violated as they do not have the right to thwart legal Board actions like this when they don’t like the result. They need to leave office for their lack of respect for democratic rule and behaving like spoiled children. I can’t believe elected officials have acted this way. I am stunned that County Counsel would have approved this!
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 09:10 AM
It was troubling to read about this unfortunate vote in the Wall Street Journal and the NY Times and the spin they put on it. Fortunately for us who live here the real policy shift is that Firestone is gone and his crony Smyser couldn’t even make the runoff. That is what we here locally think of Firestone’s tenure and good riddance. We just have to be vigilant that he is not allowed to do any real harm in the few months he has left on the Board. Local politics does matter to our quality of life and it is now clear that our future and that of our children would be negatively affected if Firestone or Smyser was on the Board in our future. This vote doesn’t really mean anything and thank God Firestone doesn’t have many left!
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 09:43 AM
I hope those who voted for Firestone because of his phony campaign to bridge North and South and stop the divide of the county—something that wasn’t going to happen anyway—will never again be fooled by Republican lies.
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 10:51 AM
Going “cold turkey” is a nice fantasy and probably achievable by a few people in this beloved tiny paradise that is the Santa Barbara reality distortion zone. But the vast majority of U.S. citizens live in areas where driving to work is a requirement, not an option and where homes must be heated and/or cooled. Many have jobs that require travel on airplanes, which require fuel to fly. The country needs a realistic energy plan, not a bunch of single-issue “just say no” positions on drilling, nukes, etc. California is the world’s 6th largest economy and imports over 60% of its oil needs, thus being a major contributor to the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil and therefore to the ongoing balance of payments problem, not to mention effectively exporting whatever problems drilling may actually cause to “the other guy” (nice, huh?). Going “cold turkey” would cause immense economic dislocation and hardship to many millions of the U.S.’s citizens and arguably trigger a worldwide economic depression. So instead of just complaining, how ‘bout some proposed solutions? Like well-run clean coal and nuclear plants for electricity, oil for fuel for cars and planes, wind where it makes sense (60 homes per windmill means maybe 500 windmills just for the city of Santa Barbara - where ya gonna put ‘em?), ditto for solar (not very useful around the Great Lakes where the sun disappears for 6 months every year). “Just say no” is a good solution for drug addiction, not as an energy policy.
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 10:57 AM
Eric compares our dependency on foreign oil as if it were an addition to cigarettes. Then in the same paragraph says that he recognizes the transfer of wealth that is putting resources into hands that want to do us harm.
Here’s an answer: Drill your own oil, base prices on what you have to offer the market and force the economy to move to non oil dependent energy accordingly.
Considering the situation we’ve found ourselves in, our Supervisors did the right thing. They are perpetuating the continuation of a bad situation, they are providing leadership to get doing something we should have been doing already.
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 01:14 PM
What is most galling about this report is Centeno’s claim that he did it “for the little people” when everyone knows that the only benefit to come from lifting the moratorium will be the oil industry. All the evidence and studies show that the cost of fuel will not go down because of this effort. The letter was politically motivated in an election year by the three Republicans who sit on the board. Shame on them.
Supervisors Carbajal and Wolf were right to send their own letter to show that this is not the will of the people of Santa Barbara County.
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 03:05 PM
Actually, “Outraged”, NOT “everyone knows… and “all the evidence and studies..” do NOT show… Those who make such wild claims apparently only read the studies that appeal to their hatred of the oil companies. Supervisors Wolf and Carbajal should be impeached for failing to observe the democratic process - you think their actions were not politically motivated? C’mon…
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 03:15 PM
To “Eric”, the Santa Barbara native who is “deeply ashamed of this vote”, I, too am deeply ashamed. Deeply ashamed of the self-centered inhabitants of California, particularly coastal California, who, while living in a state that imports for its own needs more oil than most countries, is willing to deny the rest of the United States access to California oil deposits that could break the Middle East stranglehold on energy supplies, while allowing the more practical citizens of the U.S. time to develop alternate supplies. Get some perspective.
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 03:23 PM
The oil and auto industries have lobbied for years to create the current dependence on oil. Not to mention the airline industry, which got a big hunk of money from the government after 9/11 to stay in business.
Now that oil shoots up in price and we reap the sad fruit of all that lobbying, they want `MORE, MORE’. They point fingers at everyone but themselves!
If ever there is a time to be strong and insist on energy efficient solutions, including higher gas mileage, way more public transportation etc, IT IS NOW!
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 04:59 PM
Folks,
Please consider this. Our entire known US Oil fields constitute only about 3% of the worlds oil. Drilling here, production at least 2-3 years away, would at maximum production account for barely 1% of the oil we need to use.
One Percent, we are going to give up our coastlines and increase ocean pollution for 1%? (drilling decreasing seepage is specious) How can that help? We’ve already been told that just making sure tire pressure is correct can save us 3%! This is far, far from “energy independence”. This is losing precious natural environment for the enrichment of STOCK HOLDERS alone.
I totally understand the desires of those in support of this but please open your eyes, 1% is not even a dent, barely a scratch on consumption. The only ones who would profit from this are the oil companies and their minions.
Take a walk to our coastline and tell me you would trade that for gas being 4 cents (1%) lower a gallon?
Now to destroy any credibility I have...we have the solution NOW. Please Google “burn sea water”. Yes! A new invention uses radio frequency bombardment on sea water to weaken the molecular bonds, sea water burns at up to 3000 degrees! Folks don’t you understand; nuclear reactors only boil water. Coal plants: boil water, gas, oil, all of them just heat water and run steam generators! Watch this one be suppressed under a National Security gag order. It is THE solution.
THINK! AH, I see the original video has been removed but there are still plenty of articles. They are scamming you with fear people. T. Boone is right that this is the biggest transfer of wealth in history and they are bleeding us dry. Capitalism’s failure is that wealth concentrates and currency fails; devil take the hinder most (that is US people!)
Thinker Chitchatanada
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 07:20 PM
Chitchatananda, where’d you get your data? I read that the deposits under the SB channel alone are larger than those of Saudia Arabia, while Canada has the largest deposits of all. And the quicker one starts drilling, the sooner we have the oil. Meanwhile, by all means develop real alternatives. But don’t be suckered in by wild claims about burning sea water. How much energy does it take to heat the sea water and how much energy is then produced? Let’s see scientific proof, repeatable by disinterested parties.
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 07:24 PM
Some of these responses are right out of the whacky brigade. Your car will not be powered by a wind mill or solar power. The reason we have not had an alternative fuel for transportation is a matter of energy density not fuel type. For example, gasoline has an energy density of about 13,000watts/kgram, whereas the very best battery today only stores 150watts/kgram. Ethanol stores 85% of the energy potential of gasoline. So unless all the idiot talking point repeaters can invent something no one else has been able to do, then they ought to rethink their NIMBY, BANANA, N3 attitude. In other words come up with realistic solutions instead of burying your head in the sand (or whatever other dark orifice you use) and mumbling no all the time.
» wrote on 08/27/08 @ 07:53 PM
Nothing like a transplanted midwesterner complaining about Santa Barbara.....time to go back, Bob. You are clearly unhappy here, with all this beauty.
» wrote on 08/28/08 @ 01:14 AM
Go Robert! The only thing the alternative guys come up with is wishful thinking. Science? What the hell is that? They got rid of science along time ago when the academic community became dependent on government grants and tenure. Real science gets in the way of political expediency and ideological brainwashing.
BTW, I’m not a transplanted Midwesterner. I grew up in this state and as far as I’m concerned it was ruined by all the idiot hippies who came out here from back east, followed by the un-ending wave of European socialist worshipers who once they arrive instantly turn into NIMBY BANANA N3’s.
» wrote on 08/28/08 @ 09:00 AM
The State of California needs to step up and take care of America first, and stop being pollitically correct. The country needs more oil--end of story.
» wrote on 08/28/08 @ 08:35 PM
If this short-sighted decision by the North County Board majority doesn’t demonstrate the need for a County split, then I don’t know what does. The South County pays for the North County services and the North County in return wants to pollute our beaches.
» wrote on 08/28/08 @ 10:10 PM
I agree wholeheartedly, Ms. Beall. Us south county liberals were guilted into voting against the split a couple years ago despite knowing that we may be voting against our own best interests. and Joni, Brooks and Joe just gave us a wake-up call. Let’s not waste any more time on ridiculous promises of “bridge building”..... while we’re singing kumbaya the north county troika is and will always be busy laying the groundwork for our environmental destruction. they love spending our money, though hate for us to have oversight of our own landscape. First thing though is to get rid of Mike Brown. he is the puppetmaster
» wrote on 09/01/08 @ 12:35 PM
I have a dog here who, 2 of the last 3 weeks, has come home from the beach covered in tar. If drilling will help use the seepage I’m all for it. The added benefit might be that America curtails paying foreign interests (who want to drop bombs on my children) for oil that we could be providing ourselves.
» wrote on 09/04/08 @ 05:27 PM
The wacky liberal left have destroyed the democratic party.
The demorcrats once believed in small government and low taxes. What happen?