The oil spill that triggered the debate over offshore drilling

The decades-long battle over offshore oil drilling flared up again today after President Bush said it was time to lift a ban on drilling in coastal waters. That ban was inspired in part by the environmental disaster that took place off the Santa Barbara coast nearly 40 years ago.

In January 1969, an offshore oil rig about five miles off the Santa Barbara coast "blew out" as it drilled deep into the earth. For the next month, about 1,000 gallons of crude an hour spewed out from cracks in the ocean floor, creating a 35 mile-long slick that blackened beaches and harbors and killed and injured countless birds and other wildlife. National television coverage of injured animals and tar-covered beaches triggered public outrage and helped jump-start the environmental movement.

The "incident has frankly touched the conscience of the American people," said newly sworn-in President Richard Nixon after viewing the aftermath of the approximately 3 million-gallon spill.

But with gas prices closing in on $5 a gallon, the environmental movement spawned in part by the Santa Barbara spill now finds itself struggling against growing pressure to expand oil exploration, according to an LAT story.

Ironically, the waters off the Santa Barbara coast also were the site of the nation's first offshore oil well, which was drilled from a wooden pier in 1896 in Summerland.

-- Jesus Sanchez

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Howard]

America's infrastructure is based on oil. All the trucks, planes, trains, ships, that deliver all goods to market run on oil. All automobiles, as well as all the gas stations across America run on oil. All petroleum based products, run on oil. Although alternative fuels most definitely should be developed, in the mean time America must have oil to keep our economy from screeching to a halt. In addition, our national security requires energy independence ASAP, so that we are not transferring all our wealth to foreign countries who do not like us, and who can cripple us by turning off the spigot, disrupting oil transport to us, or arbitrary oil price hikes. These are all reasons why we must be drilling for more oil right now and right here in the U.S.A. ... ASAP. Nancy Pelosi and her cronies stubborn commitment to petty party politics, instead of realistic concern over our national interest, even in the face of 76% of Americans who want off shore drilling now, will end up in bringing America to its knees.