Nine Democrats Seek New Coastline Safeguards

Declaring that California’s 1,100-mile coastline faces “unprecedented threats,” nine Democratic legislators on Monday unveiled a package of 10 bills to combat ocean pollution, impose strict liability on petroleum companies for oil spills and increase the Coastal Commission’s budget.

The loose-knit alliance of coastal legislators said they banded together to spotlight problems that have mounted since the passage of the Coastal Act a decade ago.

“The law needs to be strengthened,” said Assemblyman Sam Farr (D-Carmel), the organizer of the group, at a Capitol press conference.

One of the bills, introduced by Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), would establish an ocean pollution research facility at Santa Monica Bay, where concerns about sewage dumping have been steadily mounting.

Asserting that the public is becoming acutely aware of pollution along the California coast, Hayden also introduced six bills on his own, separate from the other 10 measures. Among other things, they would restrict ocean dumping and increase state monitoring of toxic chemical levels in fish.

Three of the coalition’s bills were aimed at countering what the legislators view as persistent problems caused by offshore oil drilling. One measure would ensure that oil firms are held strictly liable for damages from offshore operations. A second bill would require coastal oil drillers to purchase anti-pollution equipment, and another would direct the Coastal Commission to inspect the equipment.

The Coastal Commission, which has suffered budget cutbacks under Gov. George Deukmejian, would get some help. In three bills, the legislators proposed to increase the commission’s staff, force the commission to reopen regional offices, and prohibit the governor from returning federal coastal planning funds to Washington, as he did last year. Assemblyman Byron Sher (D-Palo Alto) said the Administration sent back $296,000.

Deukmejian long has held that the commission should be abolished and in past years has sharply reduced its staff. This year, however, his budget calls for a total of 117 employees, an increase of two.

Other bills highlighted at Monday’s news conference would regulate the burning of toxic wastes at sea, launch a study of San Diego Bay pollution and proclaim April as “the month of the coast.”

Other legislators joining in the coalition were Sens. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco), Hershel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) and Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara), and Assembly members Jack O’Connell (D-Santa Barbara), Lucy Killea (D-San Diego) and Dan Hauser (D-Arcata).