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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