In Symbolic Vote, County Opposes Offshore Drilling

County supervisors voted 3-2 to symbolically oppose offshore oil drilling in Central Coast waters. President Donald Trump has opened up the possibility of oil drilling off the California coast while, as County Supervisor Joan Hartmann noted, exempting the coast of Florida, where his Mar-a-Lago resort is located. Supervisor Steve Lavagnino lectured his colleagues about the human rights abuses in countries such as Saudi Arabia. His colleague Das Williams said Santa Barbara County should lead by example and that most of the crude oil off the Central Coast is viscous and of poor quality. The board action makes Santa Barbara County the 27th California jurisdiction to take a position opposing Trump’s plans, according to Food & Water Watch.