| 00:00:00 | MR. |
| 00:00:01 | THOMPSON: THIS WOULD CLARIFY THAT H. |
| 00:00:02 | R. 3408 WOULD NOT OPEN DRILLING ALONG THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST. |
| 00:00:07 | PROPONENTS OF H. |
| 00:00:09 | R. 3408 CLAIM THAT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DOES NOT MEET THE MINIMUM PRODUCTION POTENTIAL TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR OFFSHORE DRILLING. |
| 00:00:18 | HOWEVER, I DO NOT SIMPLY WANT TO TAKE THE HOUSE MAJORITY'S WORD FOR IT. |
| 00:00:22 | IN A CONGRESS THAT HAS SEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED PUSH TO WEAKEN SAFETY STANDARDS FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT, I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATIONS. |
| 00:00:33 | THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTH COAST OF CALIFORNIA WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR ENVIRONMENTALLY UNIQUE AND CRITICAL COAST IS PROTECTED. |
| 00:00:42 | PERIOD. |
| 00:00:43 | BECAUSE THIS AMENDMENT IS A CLARIFICATION OF THE LEGISLATION'S INTENT, THERE IS NO COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. |
| 00:00:51 | IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO MY CONSTITUENTS THAT H. |
| 00:00:53 | R. 3408 MAKES CLEAR THAT DRILLING WILL NOT OCCUR IN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PLANNING AREA ALONG THE COAST OF HUMBLE, SONOMA AND MOREN COUNTIES. |
| 00:01:06 | THE COASTAL AREA OF MY DISTRICT WITH ONE OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE ECOSYSTEMS IN THE WORLD AND SUPPORT ROCKFISH, AND HAS A SUCCESSFUL TOURISM INDUSTRY WHICH REPRESENTS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE LOCAL KESS AND TO THE WORKING FAMILIES OF OUR AREA. |
| 00:01:26 | IF AN OIL SPILL WERE TO OCCUR IN THIS AREA, THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS WOULD BE STAGGERING. |
| 00:01:33 | RESPONSE AND CLEANUP EFFORTS WOULD BE HAZARDOUS AND MINIMALLY EFFECTIVE GIVEN THE ROCKY SHORES AND ROUGH WATERS. |
| 00:01:40 | DRILLING FOR OIL OR GAS OFF CALIFORNIA'S NORTH COAST WOULD CAUSE SERIOUS HARM TO A UNIQUE AND PRODUCTIVE ECOSYSTEM, ABUNDANT MARINE LIFE AND TOURISM BUSINESSES. |
| 00:01:51 | THIS AMENDMENT WILL SIMPLY CLARIFY THAT THIS BILL DOES NOT REQUIRE DRILLING OFF THE NORTH COAST OF CALIFORNIA. |
| 00:01:59 | I URGE A YES VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT AND I YIELD TO MS. |
| 00:02:04 | WOOLSEY TWO MINUTES. |
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I represent a coastal community and we take seriously threats to our Nation's coastline. The Thompson-Woolsey amendment would clarify that H.R. 3408 would not open drilling along the northern California coast.
Proponents of H.R. 3408 claim that northern California does not meet the minimum production potential to be eligible for offshore drilling; however, I do not simply want to take the House majority's word for it. In a Congress that has seen an unprecedented push to weaken safety standards for our environment, I don't want to leave the door open for alternative interpretations. The people of the north coast of California want to make sure that their environmentally unique and critical coast is protected, period.
Because this amendment is a clarification of the legislation's intent, there is no cost associated with it. It's important to me and to my constituents that H.R. 3408 makes clear that drilling will not occur in the northern California planning area along the coast of Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. The coastal area of my district is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and supports salmon, Dungeness crab, rockfish, sole, and urchin populations.
[Time: 15:20] It also boasts an important and successful tourism industry which represents millions of dollars to the local economies and to the working families of our area. If an oil spill were to occur in this area, the environmental and economic cost would be staggering. Response and cleanup efforts would be hazardous and minimally effective given the rocky shores and rough waters. Drilling for oil or gas off California's north coast would cause serious harm to a unique and productive ecosystem, abundant marine life, and tourism businesses. This amendment will simply clarify that this bill does not require drilling off the north coast of California.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment, and I yield 2 minutes to Ms. Woolsey.