Victory!! // Stop Oil Trains in San Luis Obispo
On March 14, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to deny a proposed crude-by-rail terminal. The project would have entailed construction of a rail spur to Phillips’ Santa Maria refinery, which is connected by pipeline to Phillips’ refinery in the Bay Area. There is a possibility that Phillips may appeal the County’s decision to the Coastal Commission, although a March 10 letter from the Coastal Commission to the County unambiguously supported the County’s denial.
Policy Update // Ocean Day
California Coastal Commission Executive Director, Jack Ainsworth kicked off Ocean Day 2017 in Sacramento this Tuesday, March 14. Over 100 activists brought the coast to the Capitol! Advocates discussed ensuring the success of our marine protected areas, making our ocean accessible for all Californians, as well as helping to protect the coast from the harmful effects of industrialization. Thank you to all who made this a successful #OceanDay2017!
Blog Post // Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary – needed now more than ever!
This week, a House of Representatives subcommittee hearing marked the beginning of a Republican assault on our national marine sanctuary system. Currently, the designation protects 350 miles of California’s coast from offshore oil development and serves as a cornerstone of the state’s critical coastal economy. In addition to Democratic leaders and ocean activists fearing that the loss of these protections will result in irrevocable harm to our marine life and coast, forward momentum on pending nominations may be lost. Now is the time to reinforce our efforts for protection of Central California. Read the full blog post here.