I’m reading Robert Cruickshank’s post, What the Louisiana Oil Spill Tells Us About Tranquillon Ridge. Summarizing, another oil-spill tragedy is unfolding in the Gulf because of offshore drilling and “offshore oil drilling presents an inherent and ongoing risk to the environment and the economy.” He concludes,
Approving the Tranquillon Ridge project means we are again running a significant risk of a major and devastating oil spill striking what is one of the most unspoiled parts of the California coastline (the remote west-facing beaches of Santa Barbara County).
If a paragon of new offshore drilling technology can fail this catastrophically, it should cause Californians to seriously reconsider whether allowing new drilling off our coast is worth the considerable risk. As our oceans are already facing the stress of pollution, overfishing, and global warming, offshore drilling seems like the last thing we would want to do to our oceans, our beaches, our wildlife, and our economy.
I think this is an emotional reaction, not a logical reaction. My understanding is that the Tranquillon Ridge deal is not “allowing drilling off our coast.” Drilling is already occurring off the coast, and we all hate it.
But this deal does not set up any new platforms, drilling rigs, etc. It allows PXP to drill at an angle from existing platforms, but in exchange it sets up a date when they stop drilling, dismantle the platforms, and go away.
Without the deal they can stay.
There is a concern that they won’t honor the deal. Fair enough. So let’s say that, seeing as how they are in the oil business, there is perhaps a 99% chance that they will try to wiggle out of the deal. That still leaves a 1% chance that they will honor the deal, stop drilling, dismantle the platforms, and go away.
Even a 1% chance that they will honor the deal leaves us all better off than we are today. Take the deal.
Disclaimer – Hannah-Beth Jackson, who founded Speak Out California, is working with EDC on the Tranquillon Ridge project. I am currently a volunteer with Speak Out California and the associated Institute for the Renewal of the California Dream. While I’m not paid my association with HBJ might influence my views.
…that other defenders of the PXP plan (not Hannah-Beth, as far as I can tell) have been touting the supposedly safer nature of modern drilling. Deepwater Horizon shows even cutting-edge technology indicates there’s still a significant risk of a major spill.
If T-Ridge is approved, it will act as a wedge opening more of the California coast to drilling. All it’ll take is BP or Chevron or someone else showing up with a suitcase full of cash and telling state or local governments they’ll help ease their budget woes if they can just put up a platform or do some slant drilling.
Worse, they’ll be able to say “even Santa Barbara supported the T-Ridge offshore plan.” That carries a great deal of power as a frame.
I understand EDC’s position, and believe they have good intentions, but I think they’re simply wrong on this. The best way to deal with offshore drilling is to hold a firm line against it and never agree to any deals that enable it.