Press Democrat - House approves bill to open oil drilling on Southern California coast

The House voted overwhelmingly today for a bill that would renew offshore oil development in Southern California at a time of consumer frustration over $4-a-gallon gasoline.

The measure, titled "Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act," passed on a 243-179 vote, largely along party lines. It would would triple the nation's offshore oil production to 4.5 million barrels a day by 2027.

Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., House Natural Resources chairman and sponsor of three drilling-related bills, has said the measure does not impact California's North Coast, where drilling remains unpopular.

HR 1231 requires the Obama administration to allow oil lease sales in areas with an estimated 2.5 billion barrels of oil or more.

Two areas that cover the North Coast have 2.08 and 2.31 billion barrels of oil, respectively, according to government estimates.

Southern California, an offshore oil planning area that extends as far north as San Luis Obispo County, has an estimated 5.74 billion barrels of oil.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, voted against the bill and said he is skeptical of the Republican assertions that the North Coast will remain free of oil rigs.

Thompson's amendment to specifically exempt the coast from Mendocino County to the Oregon border failed on a partisan vote, with 156 in favor and 263 opposed.

"The fact that my amendment was defeated because of strong Republican opposition suggests there's still a desire to tap our reserves, no matter the potential cost," Thompson said in a statement.

Hastings has said his bill would help create 1.2 million jobs and generate $800 million in revenue over 10 years.

The measure goes next to the Senate, where opposition by the majority Democrats makes passage unlikely.

Thompson and anti-drilling activists dispute Republican claims that more offshore oil drilling will lower gasoline prices.

Thompson cited an Energy Department report that said opening all coastal waters to drilling would yield an additional 500,000 barrels of oil a day, an amount that would reduce gas prices by an estimated 3 cents a gallon in 2030.

The assertion that drilling will ease prices at the pump is "insulting to the intelligence of voters across this country," Thompson said in a telephone interview.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, also voted against the Hastings bill. "Instead of rewarding oil companies that are already making huge profits, we should be taking away the big subsidies and giveaways they get courtesy of the taxpayer," she said.

In Santa Rosa, the price of a gallon of regular gas averaged $4.26 on Thursday more than a dollar higher than a year ago, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge.