The Huntington Beach City Council voted Tuesday night to support a ban on new offshore oil drilling and similar activities off the coast of California.
Mayor Kim Carr and Councilwoman Natalie Moser brought the item forward after the Oct. 1 oil spill a few miles off the Huntington Beach coast, believed to be caused by a ship anchor that dragged an underwater Amplify Energy pipeline, which then leaked an estimated 25,000 gallons of crude oil into the water.
Carr, Moser, Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Delgleize, Rhonda Bolton and Dan Kalmick supported the item. Councilman Mike Posey voted against it, while Councilman Erik Peterson was absent.
Carr emphasized that the city receives nothing from the oil platforms off the coast. City spokeswoman Jennifer Carey said Huntington Beach makes $632,000 a year in oil well license taxes and pipeline franchise fees — less than 1% of the city’s general fund budget.
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