Lawmakers are drafting legislation to increase fines for oil spills after Tuesday’s catastrophe at the Chevron refinery.
CA Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) is pursuing future legislation in the aftermath of the Chevron Refinery oil spill that dumped up to 750 gallons of low sulfur diesel fuel into the San Francisco Bay on February 9th.
According to an Incident Report, Chevron managed to clamp shut the hole in the ballast pipeline after several hours, but the damage that was done and potential repercussions for marine life were exorbitant. Not to mention the strong smell of petroleum that lingered over the area for hours.
Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks said in an interview via KQED Wednesday, “It’s infuriating. We cannot tolerate a single drop of oil in our bay.”
She also posted about the catastrophic spill on Twitter:
That’s why I’m working with @supejohngioia and my colleagues to explore solutions for more effective deterrents. Such legislative solutions could include increasing fines and better data collection.
We must find a way to put an end to the unacceptable scenes of oil in our Bay.
— Buffy Wicks (@BuffyWicks) February 10, 2021
We cannot tolerate a single drop of oil in our Bay—and a company’s ability to pay the problem away makes it too easy for them to think otherwise.
It is imperative that we reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, *and* hold oil and gas companies accountable.https://t.co/244npYxabA
— Buffy Wicks (@BuffyWicks) February 10, 2021
Wicks plans to draft a proposal to increase fines for oil spills on the state’s coast. It would be part of a larger effort on the part of several state lawmakers to improve environmental legislation for the state.
The SF Baykeeper, an environmental nonprofit organization that monitors the Bay’s wellbeing, criticized Chevron’s response to the spill.
“Chevron’s oil pipeline leak today is bad news for #SFBay,” says Baykeeper Director @sejalc, “the Bay Area’s 5 refineries have a long history of environmental violations, so they should be prepared for a situation like this.” https://t.co/dhpj4BaVbO @bayareamoms @SFGate
— SF Baykeeper (@SFBaykeeper) February 10, 2021
It will take swift, harsh legislation to prevent these disastrous spills from reoccurring in the future.
[Featured Image: Screenshot from DJI 0934 via YouTube]