The Orange County spill began in federal waters, and California banned new oil drilling leases up to three miles offshore decades ago. When I reached out to Charter on Monday, he was still trying to understand how the Orange County spill wasn’t detected or reported sooner. In 1969, the disastrous Santa Barbara oil spill gave rise to a coastal protection movement, but we haven’t gone far enough. Now we have Orange County, but let’s not forget that this disaster isn’t just about water pollution. It’s about what those oil drilling platforms represent.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 30, 2021 18:21 UTC