142^nd Time This Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) released the following statement after voting yesterday against the pro-drilling legislation, H.R. 6082. The bill would require oil and gas leasing off the West (Southern California) and East Coasts, and in the important fishery of Bristol Bay off Alaska. The legislation would also rush additional leasing offshore in the Arctic.

"I'm strongly opposed to this bill, as I have been with all the other Big Oil bills which unnecessarily put at risk huge areas of public lands to oil drilling, including areas in California," Rep. Eshoo said. "We should be considering a broader spectrum of solutions to address our nation's energy needs. Perpetually debating the merits of risky offshore oil drilling operations along our nation's coastlines only keeps Big Oil profiting and the American people without energy alternatives."

The bill would prevent proper environmental review of offshore drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific and Bristol Bay by requiring the Department of Interior to conduct a single multi-sale Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for these areas. Such EIS documents are usually done for lease sales in a specific area like the Gulf of Mexico, where conditions are similar. However, under this proposal, the Department would be forced to conduct a single environmental review for these three distinct and different areas.

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