Letter to the Editor: Stop Oil Seeps Project a Win-Win for All

By Don Regan | Published on 07.18.2008

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After having recently read the Wall Street Journal article regarding offshore oil availability, as relevantly excerpted here below …

It seems to me, that these facts as have been presented and documented by the Journal, and the environmental group Stop Oil Seeps California, that SOS California’s broad constructive approach to both safely and efficiently cleaning up the seeps in and around the Santa Barbara and neighboring area beaches makes wonderful and obvious sense for all the citizens in the Santa Barbara area; Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties; our state; and our nation.

SOS California’s stated proposition to provide both immediate energy relief, while safely cleaning the beaches is deserving of serious consideration, and sincere determined efforts to come to a consensus to mutually move forward, as soon as possible into an affordable, safe, renewable self-sustaining energy future. Such a worthy project, with its straightforward renewable and practical financial benefits, is clearly within our reach, in our time, and importantly a win-win for all public policy makers and citizen stakeholders alike.

… “Lifting the offshore-drilling moratorium won’t be a quick fix for high energy prices. Developing the eastern Gulf of Mexico, an idea to which Florida Gov. Charlie Crist recently ended long-standing state opposition, will take close to a decade for leasing, exploring, drilling and building required infrastructure. The industry believes there is mostly natural gas there, and new natural-gas supplies won’t have much impact on gasoline prices.

However, a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst said in a report there is a lot of offshore crude that can be produced relatively quickly. The problem: It is located off California, where politicians have built careers opposing new drilling.

The Minerals Management Service said that of the estimated 18 billion barrels of oil in off-limits coastal areas, almost 10 billion are off the coast of California.

“California could actually start producing new oil within a year if the moratorium were lifted,” the Sanford C. Bernstein report said, because the oil is under shallow water, it has been explored and there are drilling platforms that have been there since before the moratoria went into effect. …” Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article.

Don Regan, Ph.D.
Arroyo Grande

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» observer on 07.23.08 @ 10:33 AM

There were 124 oil leaks during Katrina totalling 750,000 gallons. This is substantilly more than the Exxon/Valdez Spill.

The oil companies have not drilled at all on over 50% of the oil leases provided to them by the government. We should start there.

Why not utilize the same resources and capital to further develop alternatives such as solar and wind and promote conservation through tax breaks?

As Boone Pickens says:“We cannot drill our way out of the problem”.


» peter sterling on 08.18.08 @ 12:19 PM

Santa Barbara . new oil leases proposals;

see; http://www.strategicnine.com/santa-barbara-energy-home.htm

PRIMARY BENEFITS OFFERED TO SANTA BARBARA COUNTY RESIDENTS
1.  $2.50 GASOLINE for all registered Santa Barbara County residents and County vehicles from local oil production.
2.  $2.50 GASOLINE for all registered hotel guests in Santa Barbara County.
3.  County-wide Clean-Air, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) car conversions facilities.
4.  $1.50 CNG for Santa Barbara and Coast residents for flexi-fuel vehicles.
5.  Substantial Annual Grants to local environmental study groups and renewable energy programs.
6.  Significant decrease in County-wide Air pollution from lower natural reservoir seepage.
7.  Much lower C02 emissions for the County and State of California.
8.  Significantly reduce potent greenhouse gas methane emissions from offshore gas seeps.
9.  Much cleaner Santa Barbara beaches and oceans by reduction in beach tar balls.
10.  Large new natural gas supplies from Bering Sea, landing via Santa Barbara County, to lower America’s C02 emissions from out of State coal-fired power plants, which will no longer be needed.
11.  Increased local, State and National energy income streams, with monies all staying inside the County and America.
12.  Provide Complete Santa Barbara energy self reliance and improve America’s energy security.
13.  Significant high-paying local jobs boost.
14.  Significant increased cash energy royalties to County of approximately $250-500 million p.a will improve the quality of life for all Santa Barbara County staff and local residents.
15.  Special Proposed Community royalty payment from Bering Sea Gas imports landings to fund FREE County-Wide clinics and a new FREE County Hospital.
16.  Lower-cost CNG for public transport-busses and vans, will enable disadvantaged and senior citizens to travel more freely.
17.  Natural Gas for County home heating and cooking at a 30% discount to the prevailing rate.
18.  Significant Increase in Local Property Values due to many of the above benefits.


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