In the wake of the BP drilling disaster, state Sierra Club chapters across the country are working to limit, restrict, etc. off shore drilling in their state legislatures. We picked up our first win in North Carolina last week. Here’s a quick write up:
Limiting Off-shore Drilling in NC
SB 836 “Oil Spill Liability, Response, & Preparedness” enacted. The bill aims to increase the protection of North Carolina’s coastline from offshore drilling and potential spills. The Act removes the current cap on the amount recoverable by the State for the cost of clean up and any resulting damages to public resources in the case of an oil spill. The Act also modifies the state’s Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) by requiring, in the case of a consistency review, significant planning and preparation for potential spills regarding offshore activities before any leases could move forward. The act directs the Coastal Resources Commission to review existing laws and regulations that pertain to offshore energy production and exploration in light of the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon spill and to recommend modifications to the law as they see fit. Lastly, the act directs the department of Crime Control and public Safety to immediately review and update the state oil spill contingency plan in order to prepare the state in the event of oil from the BP spill reaching our shores.
WHEN: 2010.07.08
WHERE: NC
Tactical Highlights:
The spill in the Gulf of Mexico moved public opinion from somewhat supporting off-shore drilling in NC to being against. The bill remained realtively unaltered as it moved through the legislative process. The few changes the bill saw were mainly focused on logistics and legal wording. The North Carolina Chapter worked closely with North Carolina Conservation Network, Conservation Council of North Carolina, Environment North Carolina, and Coastal Federation to achieve the bill’s passage.
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Athan Manuel
Director of Lands Protection
Sierra Club
408 C St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-548-4580 / fax 547-6009
cell: 202-716-0006
athan.manuel@sierraclub.org
Special thanks to Richard Charter