The environment community’s first victory of the special session is almost complete.
Today the Senate voted to approve HB 3613, a ten-year ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in Oregon’s territorial sea.
The bill now goes to Governor Kulongoski for his signature. Brock Howell of Environment Oregon says that the Governor’s staff testified in favor of the ban, so it’s likely Kulongoski will sign it.
HB 3613 bans offshore drilling in the state’s territorial waters, which is the first three miles of ocean off the coast. The original bill called for a permanent ban, but environmental groups had to settle for a ten-year ban in order to win easy passage. Once that compromise was made, the bill has been widely supported by both parties.
“When our coast has such a great opportunity to develop innovative renewable energies like wave and tidal, the last thing we need to do is to lock-up the coast with fossil-fuel development,” says Howell.
The oil and gas industry has shown little interest – so far- in exploring off the Oregon coast. But there’s nothing about this bill that stops the federal government from allowing offshore drilling further out. With Congress considering lifting a federal moratorium on offshore drilling in federal coastal waters, Howell says the bill’s passage sends a message.
“Oregon’s action today is a clear statement to Congress that coastal states and communities are against drilling our nearshore,” he says. “The U.S. Senate should take head that drilling our ocean is not Americans’ vision for sustainable coastal economies or energy independence.”
