Gov. Brown Seeks Permanent Ban On New Offshore Drilling Leases
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown wants President Barack Obama to permanently ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in the waters off California.
Brown said in a letter sent Tuesday to the president that allowing new drilling would be inconsistent with goals of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and combating climate change. A temporary ban in California, Oregon and Washington expires in 2022.
"Clearly, large new oil and gas reserves would be inconsistent with our overriding imperative to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and combat the devastating impacts of climate change," Brown wrote in the letter. "Now is the time to make permanent the protection of our ocean waters and beaches from new oil and gas drilling."
Brown says he doesn't know if President-elect Donald Trump would have authority to overturn a permanent ban. He plans to ask the governors of Oregon and Washington if they want to join the effort.
The governor announced his proposal in Coronado, at an event to launch a new organization to protect oceans. Oregon and Washington also joined the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)