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501 Poli Street • P.O. Box 99 • Ventura, California 93002-0099 • 805.654.7800 • www.cityofventura.ca.gov
July 9, 2018
The Honorable Senator Diane Feinstein
RE: Notice of Support: Opposition to new Offshore Drilling
Dear Senator Feinstein:
I write to you to express our community’s strong opposition to new offshore drilling development and object to
any new oil and gas leases off the California Coast. On May 7, 2018, the City of Ventura City Council reaffirmed
the community’s voice and voted to take a proactive stance against any plans to open coastal waters to new
offshore oil and gas drilling.
The City recognizes that Californians are highly susceptible to the potential negative impacts of offshore drilling,
as highlighted by the devastation that occurred in 1969, where 3 million gallons of offshore crude oil spilled along
our nation’s most beautiful and biodiverse coastlines, killing thousands of fish, birds, and marine mammals. The
City of Ventura is sensitive to potential environmental impacts facing our community including:
• Devastation to our vibrant coastal and offshore tourism industry
• Damage to our highly successful yet fragile commercial fisheries
Furthermore, any new offshore oil drilling would inherently expand fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure and
contribute to our nation’s carbon pollution. We must focus our energy and actions at all levels of government on
reducing carbon pollution and take a leadership role in deploying and developing twenty-first century clean
energy technologies to fight climate change. The idea of expanding offshore oil drilling fundamentally
contradicts our City’s intention to promote clean technologies.
In addition, we are submitting written opposition to Senator Harris and providing a copy of this letter to Interior
Secretary Ryan Zinke, the California Coastal Commission, and the State Lands Commission. The Coastal
Commission has authority to review decisions in federal waters to determine compliance with the state’s coastal
management plans, while the State Lands Commission has jurisdiction over waters that extend roughly three
miles offshore including pipelines from oil rigs.
We look forward to working with you to protect and preserve our beloved coastline.
Sincerely,
Dan Paranick
Interim City Manager
City of Ventura
cc: City Council
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke
California Coastal Commission
State Lands Commission
Ventura County Board of Supervisors