• Two bills authored by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) in response to this year’s Refugio Oil Spill in Santa Barbara County passed out of the Legislature and are on their way to the governor’s desk. Jackson’s Senate Bill 295 requires annual oil pipeline inspections by the State Fire Marshal. Previously, pipeline inspections had been done every two or more years. The bill passed off the Senate floor on a bipartisan, 27-9 vote.
“I do believe that if the pipeline that ruptured had been inspected annually, they would have detected the corrosion that led to the Refugio Oil Spill, and we would have been able to prevent it,” Jackson said. “Previously, we had largely planned and prepared for oil spills that start offshore. This helps us prevent spills that could start onshore.”
Jackson’s Senate Bill 414, the Rapid Oil Response Act, seeks to make oil spill response faster and more effective. This bill: 1) Directs the Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) to report to the Legislature on how to best utilize commercial fishing vessels and crews in response to an oil spill; 2) Requires OSPR to notify the Legislature within three days if dispersants are used in response to an oil spill. It also requires a follow-up study on negative impacts that the use of dispersants have had; and 3) Requires OSPR to study the best achievable technology for oil spill cleanup and use that technology to respond to spills, among other things. The vote on the Senate floor was 26-13.
“Both of these bills represent an important step forward for our beautiful coastline, which is a huge contributor to our economy through our tourism and fishing industries,” Jackson said. “Together, these bills improve oversight and deepen our knowledge of how to respond quickly and effectively to spills should they occur.” The governor has until Oct. 11 to take action on these measures.
• Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) joined her colleagues Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) on Sept. 18, to introduce the California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act, legislation that would protect numerous California locations, including Piedras Blancas Light Station Outstanding Natural Area, by adding them to the California Coastal National Monument.
The lighthouse was illuminated in 1875 to provide navigational assistance to all sailors off the coast. In addition to its historic role as an aid to navigation, the onshore site and countless rocks and islands off the coast are home to sea birds, sea lions, and elephant seals, as well as more than 70 native plant species. The Light Station was designated as an Outstanding Natural Area in 2008 through congressional designation in order to recognize the site’s historical, natural, cultural, scientific, educational, scenic, and recreation values. Including the Light Station in the California Coastal National Monument would provide additional protection to the site, provide greater access to the monument, boost local tourism, and reaffirm the importance of this site to both California and the entire nation.
This article appears in Sep 24 – Oct 1, 2015.
