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Governor Brown Signs Bills to Fight Trump Administration’s Plan To Expand Offshore Oil Drilling off California’s Coast

For immediate release:

Torrance, CA – Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s (D-Torrance) Assembly Bill (AB) 1775 and State Senator Hannah Beth Jackson’s Senate Bill (SB) 834, which prohibit any new pipelines or other infrastructure in state waters that would support new offshore oil drilling and development off California’s coast.

“With the signing of AB 1775 and SB 834, California is fighting back against the Trump Administration’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling off California’s coast,” declared Assemblymember Muratsuchi.  “We are standing up to protect the South Bay in my district and our state’s entire coast from the threat of more offshore oil drilling and ugly oil rigs.  I thank Governor Brown for leading the resistance and Senator Jackson for working with me to protect our state’s multibillion dollar coastal economy and beautiful beaches and coastline.”

AB 1775 will protect the California coast by prohibiting the State Lands Commission (SLC) from approving any new leases for pipelines or other infrastructure needed to support new federal oil and gas development in the three-mile area off the coast that is controlled by the state.  Further, this bill requires the SLC, upon receipt of an application for a lease renewal, extension, amendment, or modification to new construction of oil-and-gas-related infrastructure within state waters, to hold a public hearing and consider the impacts and necessity of the application.

In January 2018, the Trump Administration announced its plan to lift the moratorium put in place by President Obama, opening 90 percent of federal waters, including off the California's coast, to new drilling leases.  According to a recent Public Policy Institute of California poll, 69 percent of Californians opposed drilling off the California coast.  AB 1775 will take effect in January 2019.

Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi represents California’s 66th Assembly District, which includes El Camino Village, Gardena, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance, and West Carson.  He serves as Acting Chairman of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and Chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Aerospace.   Muratsuchi is a member of the Assembly Committees on Budget, Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, Natural Resources, Utilities and Energy, and Veterans Affairs.