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REP LIEU JOINS LOCAL LAWMAKERS TO VOICE OPPOSITION TO OFFSHORE DRILLING

February 5, 2018

LOS ANGELES – On Saturday, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) joined local lawmakers and environmental groups to express their opposition to offshore drilling in the Pacific Ocean. The event, which was hosted at the Santa Monica Pier by Sen. Ben Allen, featured a broad coalition of local leaders committed to keeping coastal ecosystems safe. Federal officials in attendance included Congresswomen Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA) and Maxine Waters (D-CA).

"This gathering represents exactly the kind of fervor we need to stop harmful offshore drilling on our coasts. Offshore drilling creates extraordinary safety concerns for coastal communities and ecosystems. Instead of fighting climate change and looking at wind, tidal and wave energy development, the Trump administration's offshore drilling proposal would turn our coasts into a game of risk.

We've seen how devastating oil spills can be. In 2015, a pipeline ruptured at Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara spilling more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean. The disaster killed 99 mammals, including sea lions, and 202 birds. It also resulted in the closure of several beaches in Los Angeles. We should be making every effort to reduce the risks of disaster, not increase them.

Everyone who is committed to protecting our environment can make their voices heard. I joined Sens. Feinstein, Harris and other California Members of Congress in sending a letter to Interior Secretary Zinke requesting he offer Californians an opportunity to offer input on the plan. We have to do everything in our power to oppose this potentially devastating plan."