Padilla Urges Action Following Major Oil Spill in Orange County
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, released the following statement on the Orange County oil spill.
“We’ve seen time and time again how damaging offshore oil spills are to our coastal ecosystems as well as to our economy. This is yet another preventable environmental catastrophe that threatens to cause years of environmental harms to critical marine and wetland ecosystems and major economic hardships for local communities. My office is closely monitoring the containment and cleanup efforts, and I will do everything I can to ensure Orange County receives the assistance it needs.
“We have the power to prevent future spills—that’s why I’m committed to ending offshore oil drilling. As Congress prepares sweeping new infrastructure and climate legislation to address our nation’s needs, the message is clear: we must act urgently to end our use of dangerous fossil fuels. I urge my colleagues to move quickly to pass the West Coast Ocean Protection Act and prevent yet another unnecessary environmental tragedy.”
Senator Padilla is a cosponsor of the West Coast Ocean Protection Act, a bill that would ban oil and gas drilling off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington.
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