SACRAMENTO – On Tuesday, January 25, 2022, as Chair of the Assembly’s Select Committee on the Orange County Oil Spill, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris is convening a Joint Oversight Hearing with the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation. Legislators will explore the past and present efforts to decommission offshore oil production off the coast of California and explore legislative proposals. This will be the second hearing in a series of hearings following the oil spill that occurred in Orange County in October of 2021.
“It is past time we end offshore drilling off our precious California coast,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), Chair of the Select Committee on the Orange County Oil Spill. “Our coastal ecosystems cannot endure the enormous risk that accompanies offshore oil production, and this hearing will help us navigate the complicated, yet attainable, path to decommissioning once and for all.”
“It is time we end the narrative that stronger regulations and accountability will hurt petroleum companies, especially when their industry continues to put billions of dollars of our coastal economy at risk and, more importantly, threatens our environment,” said Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources. “California’s coast has some of the most diverse marine life in the world, and this recent oil spill only further proves that offshore drilling in federal waters must end to protect our coastal ecosystem. I want to thank Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris for her leadership in organizing another oversight hearing so that we can evaluate what the state can do to prevent future tragedies from happening.
“California’s coast is irreplaceable and we must do everything in our power to hold the oil industry accountable for their destructive actions. If we have learned anything since this tragic and avoidable oil spill, it’s that we must take a more aggressive approach to ending offshore drilling. I am appreciative of both Assemblymember Petrie-Norris’ and Chair Rivas’ leadership on this issue and look forward to hearing more from our State’s leading experts, “said Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
State Capitol Room 4202
To view live, go to: https://www.assembly.ca.gov/todaysevents
Hearing Agenda Online