R11100City Council Meeting: March 6, 2018 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER I I1 do (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA REAFFIRMING THE PROTECTION OF THE
OCEAN AND COAST FROM OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING, EXPLORATION AND
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING (FRACKING)
WHEREAS, the health of Santa Monica Bay and the Pacific Ocean is directly tied
to the City of Santa Monica's (the "City") economy, public health, and environment; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica's residents and visitors enjoy City beaches
and the Pacific Ocean for recreational, commercial, and educational activities, all of which
support our local economy; and
WHEREAS, Santa Monica Bay and the State's coastal waters provide habitat to a
vast array of wildlife, including fish, whales, sea turtles, and birds that depend on a healthy
and clean environment; and
WHEREAS, the State and many local communities, including the City of Santa
Monica, have supported and made significant investments to protect and enhance marine
and coastal habitats in Santa Monica Bay, including the designation of Santa Monica Bay
as a national estuary; establishing marine protected areas in Malibu, Palos Verdes and
Catalina Island; restoring Malibu Lagoon; and restoring kelp forests in Santa Monica Bay;
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WHEREAS, offshore oil and gas drilling and seismic exploration off the Pacific
Coast put coastal resources, and the communities and industries that depend on them, at
risk from oil spills, intense ocean noise, and other damage; and
WHEREAS, the current administration has proposed to dramatically expand
offshore oil and gas leasing in all United States oceans, including to new areas which
have largely been off-limits to new federal leasing, including the Pacific Coast; and
WHEREAS, expanding offshore oil and gas drilling, seismic exploration, fracking
and other well stimulation techniques threatens coastal stakeholders, marine wildlife,
human health and climate; and
WHEREAS, in 1969, a massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara fouled
coastal waters and caused catastrophic economic and environmental damage; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, a pipeline servicing offshore oil platforms burst and fouled
the same coastal areas, damaging wildlife and impacting recreational and commercial
activities; and
WHEREAS, hydraulic fracturing and other unconventional oil extraction
techniques such as acid fracturing, matrix acidizing, gravel packing and cyclic steam
injection, collectively referred to here as "tracking and other well stimulation," provide
other means to expand offshore oil and gas extraction; and
WHEREAS, fracking and other well stimulation increases pollution and the risk of
oil spills and earthquakes; and
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WHEREAS, the offshore oil industry is permitted to dump more than 9 billion
gallons of wastewater into the Pacific Ocean every year, including wastewater from
fracking, that may be laced with toxic chemicals that can harm human health and wildlife;
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WHEREAS, expanding offshore drilling, fracking and other well stimulation off the
Pacific Coast will deepen the state's dependence on fossil fuels and undermine efforts to
address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving toward
renewable energy; and
WHEREAS, the Governors of California, Oregon, and Washington, along with over
30 California cities and counties, including the cities of Malibu, Manhattan Beach, West
Hollywood and Los Angeles, have taken a stand against new federal offshore oil and gas
leases in the Pacific Ocean, and several municipalities have called for a ban on offshore
fracking; and
WHEREAS, on November 27, 2012, the City of Santa Monica adopted Resolution
Number 10720, in support of a moratorium on fracking in California and incorporated the
resolution into Santa Monica's Sustainability Bill of Rights; and
WHEREAS, on December 9, 2014, the City of Santa Monica adopted Resolution
Number 10851, opposing oil drilling in Hermosa Beach which would impact Santa Monica
Bay; and
WHEREAS, new federal offshore oil and gas leases have not been granted in the
Pacific region planning area since 1984; and
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WHEREAS, the United States Department of Interior develops and implements a
nationwide offshore oil and gas leasing program that determines the size, timing and
location of lease sales for the Outer Continental Shelf.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Monica supports a ban on new
offshore oil and gas drilling, seismic oil exploration, fracking, and other well stimulation in
federal and state waters off the Pacific Coast.
SECTION 2. The City Council opposes new federal oil and gas leasing in all
United States waters, including off the Pacific Coast.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
LANE DILG—
City Attorney
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Adopted and approved this 6th day of March, 2018.
Ted Winterer, Mayor
I, Denise Anderson -Warren, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby
certify that Resolution No. 11100 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa
Monica City Council held on the 6th day of March, 2018, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Himmelrich, McKeown, O'Day, Vazquez
Mayor Pro Tem Davis, Mayor Winterer
NOES: None
ABSENT: Councilmember O'Connor
ATTEST:
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Denise Anderson -Warren, City Clerk