SACRAMENTO – Governor Jerry Brown today signed Assembly Bill 1112, by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), to improve the state’s ability to prevent oil spills from damaging California’s coastline and waterways.
“The tragedy of the Gulf Coast oil spill – the worst environmental disaster in US history – serves as a fresh reminder that preventing oil spills is a huge priority in California,” said Assemblymember Huffman. “I am very pleased that the Governor has signed this critically important bill that will increase oversight and maintain solvency of California’s oil spill prevention programs.”
According to the State Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), revenue from this oil spill prevention fund is no longer sufficient to sustain the agency’s current mandated workload. The fund is projected to be running a deficit of $5.2 million in the next fiscal year, and that deficit is projected to double the following fiscal year.
AB 1112 will require OSPR to step up efforts to oversee the highest risk vessel-to-vessel oil transfers, and would give the agency the authority to increase the fee on this fund by a penny and a half, to 6.5 cents through 2015.
“This represents a huge victory for Californians, our coast and wildlife,” said Nicole Catalano, spokeswoman for Pacific Environment. “Keeping these state programs intact is our best defense against a spill and should be paid for by the oil industry and not the citizens of California.”
“We know that oil spills can have a devastating impact on sea lions, harbor seals, migrating birds, local endangered shorebirds and the struggling herring and leopard shark populations” said Deb Self, executive director of San Francisco Baykeeper. “California’s programs to prevent and respond to oil spills simply must be fully funded.”
Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) represents the 6th Assembly District, which encompasses southern Sonoma County and all of Marin County. First elected in 2006, Huffman chairs the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and also serves as Co-Chair of the Legislative Environmental Caucus.
CONTACT: Debra Gravert, (916) 319-2006
