End Offshore Drilling Threat Permanently

I applaud “Pointless Spat Over Drilling” (editorial, May 11) for keeping the issue of offshore oil and gas drilling, an issue of critical importance to all Californians, in the public eye. Rather than advocating for a taxpayer-funded buyout now, I believe the state, through the California Coastal Commission, should review all the leases and their proposed development plans, as the federal courts have ruled. This has to happen before the Bush administration and the oil companies agree to any sort of buyout or exchange of the leases.

Many of these leases may not even be eligible for development under current laws that provide critical protection for our coast. Rejection of any of these oil leases by the Coastal Commission should lead to their termination, without the need for a taxpayer-financed buyout.

I also believe that any termination agreement must include permanent protection for our coast and any buyout must mean the termination of all 36 leases. The administration’s proposal for a federal buyout of Florida’s oil leases, trumpeted during Gov. Jeb Bush’s 2002 run for reelection, turned out to be for only 10 years. After that the leases can be reissued, and Floridians will have the same fight all over again. Ending the threat of new drilling off California must mean ending it forever.

Rep. Lois Capps

D-Santa Barbara