The U.S. Senate has passed an amendment to the Interior Department’s appropriations bill that restricts drilling offshore California. The amendment, which was offered by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), would halt development for the next year on 36 undeveloped oil leases off the coast.

The amendment expresses the “Sense of the Senate” that the Interior Department should not spend any funds to approve development plans or related permits for the leases while the department and oil and gas companies are discussing possible retirement of the leases.

“The people of California do not want further oil drilling off our beautiful coast,” Boxer said in a statement. “I am proud that the Senate has taken a stand on this important issue. The Bush administration’s recent actions in Florida regarding offshore drilling are nearly identical to proposals we have made to resolve the analogous situation in California. Californians, like Floridians, don’t want offshore drilling.” The appropriations bill is currently being considered by the Senate.

Meanwhile, in the House, an amendment proposed by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), which prohibits the use of federal funds for lease development for fiscal year 2003, passed by a vote of 252-172. Neither the Boxer amendment nor the Capps amendment would affect current drilling activities onshore and offshore California.

“This is a great complement to the House amendment,” said Boxer. “Going into conference, I am very confident that there will be no new drilling off of California’s coast in the next 12 months. It just doesn’t make sense to continue to fund permitting processes for these leases when the lessees and the Department of the Interior are in the midst of negotiations to retire the leases.”

©Copyright 2002 Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news report may not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in any form, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.