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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 32 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 32

 Expressing the sense of Congress that the 40th anniversary of the oil 
spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, should be remembered 
      as an ecological and economic disaster that triggered major 
 environmental legislation and helped launch the modern environmental 
                   movement, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 28, 2009

   Mrs. Capps (for herself, Mr. Farr, and Ms. Woolsey) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that the 40th anniversary of the oil 
spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, should be remembered 
      as an ecological and economic disaster that triggered major 
 environmental legislation and helped launch the modern environmental 
                   movement, and for other purposes.

Whereas January 28, 2009, marks the 40th anniversary of an oil spill at Union 
        Oil Company's Platform A, located six miles off the coast of Santa 
        Barbara, California;
Whereas over 11 days, an estimated 3,000,000 gallons of crude oil was released 
        into the Pacific Ocean, creating an 800 square-mile slick;
Whereas incoming tides brought the oil to beaches from Rincon Point to Goleta, 
        damaging 35 miles of coastline, as well as all four of the northern 
        Channel Islands;
Whereas the impact of the oil spill on marine wildlife was disastrous, killing 
        dozens of sea lions and dolphins;
Whereas it has been estimated that approximately 9,000 birds died as the oil 
        stripped their feathers of the natural waterproofing that kept them 
        afloat;
Whereas multitudes of fish are believed to have been killed, and many others 
        fled the area, causing economic harm to the region's fishermen;
Whereas a great number of gray whales migrating from the Gulf of Alaska to their 
        calving and breeding grounds in Baja, Mexico, were forced to avoid the 
        polluted Santa Barbara Channel, which is their main route south;
Whereas many consider the publicity surrounding the oil spill to have been a 
        major impetus to the modern environmental movement;
Whereas following the oil spill, a broad environmental grassroots movement was 
        founded leading to the first Earth Day in November 1969;
Whereas only days after the spill began, Get Oil Out! was founded in Santa 
        Barbara and collected 100,000 signatures on a petition banning offshore 
        oil drilling;
Whereas the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara was founded and the 
        first Environmental Studies program was started at the University of 
        California, Santa Barbara;
Whereas the California Coastal Commission was created from a statewide 
        initiative to protect the State's coastal areas, and the State Lands 
        Commission banned offshore drilling for 16 years;
Whereas in the years following the oil spill, the State and Federal governments 
        enacted many environmental protection laws, including the California 
        Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act of 
        1969, which led the way to the establishment of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency;
Whereas Santa Barbara News-Press Editor Thomas Storke said: ``Never in my long 
        lifetime have I ever seen such an aroused populace at the grassroots 
        level. This oil pollution has done something I have never seen before in 
        Santa Barbara--it has united citizens of all political persuasions in a 
        truly nonpartisan cause.''; and
Whereas President Richard Nixon said: ``It is sad that it was necessary that 
        Santa Barbara should be the example that had to bring it to the 
        attention of the American people. What is involved is the use of our 
        resources of the sea and of the land in a more effective way and with 
        more concern for preserving the beauty and the natural resources that 
        are so important to any kind of society that we want for the future. The 
        Santa Barbara incident has frankly touched the conscience of the 
        American people.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the 40th anniversary of the oil spill off the coast of 
        Santa Barbara, California, should be remembered as an 
        ecological and economic disaster that triggered major 
        environmental legislation and helped launch the modern 
        environmental movement; and
            (2) this anniversary is a timely reminder of the critical 
        importance of moving our economy away from its crippling 
        dependence on fossil fuels and towards a clean, renewable 
        energy future.
                                 <all>
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