Democratic candidates for president back proposed coastal oil drilling ban

Four senators running for president are among the cosponsors of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s bill introduced Friday to permanently ban offshore oil drilling in federal waters off the coast of California, Oregon and Washington.

Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York signed as cosponsors of the bill aimed at thwarting a Trump administration oil development plan that initially covered more than 90 percent of coastal waters, including six leases? in California.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said last month that a revised plan was suspended indefinitely due to legal setbacks in the courts. Critics saw a political motive, suggesting President Donald Trump was wary of running for reelection next year while pushing an oil plan widely unpopular on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

California’s determination to block offshore oil drilling dates back to the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. No new drilling has been allowed in federal waters along the Pacific Coast since 1984.

“Doubling down on the failed ‘drill, baby, drill’ approach threatens our oceans and coastal economies while doing nothing to reduce carbon emissions or increase our energy independence,” Feinstein said in statement.

Richard Charter of Bodega Bay, a veteran anti-drilling activist, welcomed the proposed law, the West Coast Ocean Protection Act.

“We would rather have our own elected officials enact permanent protection than have our coast continue to be treated as a political football by the Trump campaign,” said Charter, a senior fellow with the Ocean Foundation.

Eight other Democratic senators also cosponsored the bill: Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray of Washington, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Gary Peters of Michigan.

North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, introduced a House version of the bill in January, saying it would “shield our oceans from reckless exploitation.”

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 707-521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.