New Drilling Opposed Off O.C. Shores : Ecology: Nearly seven out of 10 residents favor a complete ban in local waters, but half say they favor more oil exploration and production elsewhere.

As President Bush ponders the future of offshore oil drilling in Southern California, the message from Orange County residents who suffered the effects of a major spill just two months ago rings loud and clear: no new oil platforms in our back yard.

The recent Huntington Beach spill, which dumped 394,000 gallons of Alaskan crude oil into local waters, fouled 20 miles of shoreline, killed hundreds of marine birds and has left a lasting impression on many county residents, a Times Orange County Poll on the environment has found. The accident has also fueled concerns about the safety of oil drilling and shipping in general, particularly off the Orange County coast.

“What happened really scared me,” said Mary MacDonald, 65, a retired schoolteacher in San Juan Capistrano who participated in the poll. “I’d rather be producing our own oil than buying it from foreign countries, but we need to be careful about what we’re doing.”

Eight in 10 residents believe the Feb. 7 tanker spill caused significant environmental damage and dealt a blow to the beach economy, according to the poll conducted by Mark Baldassare & Associates. Despite officials’ pronouncements that the spill caused no lasting harm, one in four in the poll described the damage as “major.”

Two out of three Orange County residents are more concerned about oil shipping and drilling than they were before the Huntington Beach spill, according to the poll, while eight in 10 worry that history will repeat itself with another large spill off the Orange County coast.

“I know the Huntington Beach oil spill had to do with shipping oil and not drilling, but the thing is, if those platforms are right out there, the chance of having another spill or something going wrong offshore is a lot higher,” said Dawna Brady, 18, a receptionist in San Clemente. “I drive up the coast, see them (oil platforms) and wonder, ‘now what’s going to happen with those?’ ”

Pollster Baldassare said the results show that opposition to oil drilling appears to have reached a “high-water mark.”

“It’s partly because of the spill off the coast of Huntington Beach,” he said. “But there also appears to be a growing consensus that offshore oil drilling, at least off the coast of Orange County, may not be worth the environmental hazards.”

That sentiment is reflected by the 66% of county residents who favor a complete ban on drilling off the Orange County coast, compared to 25% who support more drilling and 9% who are undecided. That does not translate into support for a ban on oil drilling elsewhere in the nation, however. Half say they favor increasing oil exploration and production elsewhere in the United States, and only 38% oppose it.

Don Gardner, 41, a hardware store owner in Stanton, called a local ban the “first step in being environmentally responsible.” He said he fears that an oil spill “10 times the size” of the Huntington Beach spill could occur if federal officials allow full-scale oil and gas exploration in local waters.

Not all county residents, however, agree that a permanent ban is the answer. Todd Mathewson, 29, an industrial equipment salesman from Fullerton, said such a move would “seal off” a crucial option for meeting rising fuel demands.

He said he believes offshore energy development should be a last resort. However, should the availability of oil become scarce, Mathewson said, he would support drilling off the county’s coast.

“I would prefer drilling on land first, but you can’t be foolish enough to say ‘never’ to offshore drilling,” Mathewson said.

Despite the threat of oil spills, some residents such as Roy Ballard, 73, of Placentia, believe drilling is a necessary evil--the price society pays for its addiction to oil.

“What are we going to do? Give up our cars, our electricity, our microwave ovens?” Ballard asked. “If we need that oil, let’s drill for it.”

For the moment, a local ban will remain in effect off the Orange County coast pending a decision from President Bush about whether to open up more of Southern California to offshore drilling. Shortly after taking office, Bush temporarily stopped lease-sale preparations begun during the Reagan Administration and ordered a task force to assess the environmental and economic impact of several proposed lease sales in California and Florida.

Lease Sale 95, proposed off the Southern California coast, includes 6.7 million acres extending from the Mexican border to the northern border of San Luis Obispo County. The presidential task force has laid out a series of options for each of the lease sales, ranging from allowing leasing to extending the current ban. Bush is expected to announce his decision sometime this summer.

For the most part, there is little debate on the matter among Orange County residents whose memories of the Huntington Beach spill are still fresh. The President, they say, should allow more drilling--but elsewhere.

“I guess that’s because I want it out of my back yard,” said Ann DePriest, 40, of Garden Grove. “I know there is oil in other places and we ought to try as many of them as possible.”

Staff writer Steven R. Churm contributed to this story.

Oil and the Coast Huntington Beach oil spill How worried are you that there will be another big oil spill off the Orange County coast? 54%: Somewhat worried 27%: Very worried 19%: Not worried Oil drilling Which of the following proposals do you favor: Opening more coastal waters off Orange County to offshore exploration or banning all new offshore oil drilling off the Orange County coast? 66%: Ban drilling 25%: More drilling 9%: Don’t know Source: Times Orange County Poll