Press Room
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| Coal Oil Point Reserve, Santa Barbara County. Photo by Linda Krop. |
Read EDC’s recent and historical press releases, editorials, and reports. You can also search for your topic of interest using the Google-powered site search tool, above.
July 22, 2010
Court of Appeals Accepts Amicus Curiae Brief from Four Local Organizations Who Assert That Venoco's Measure J Was an Unconstitutional and Illegal Abuse of the Voter Initiative--Groups File Brief in Support of the City of Carpinteria
May 12, 2010
Conservation and Environmental Justice
Groups Call for Action on Agricultural Water Quality Issues
Viable sustainable agriculture is key to the economic and environmental sustainability of the Central Coast, but there is a dark side to farming: our streams and drinking water are polluted by run-off containing fertilizers, pesticides and excess sediment.
May 6, 2010
Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Sea Otter Protection. Court holds that government has duty to decide whether southern California "no otter zone" should be abolished.
May 3, 2010
Response to Governor's Withdrawal of Support for Tranquillon Ridge Plan to End Offshore Oil
We are very surprised and disappointed to learn that the Governor has withdrawn his support for the Tranquillon Ridge Plan, which would have ended existing oil drilling operations offshore Santa Barbara County.
April 7, 2010
New Plan Unveiled to End Existing Oil Drilling Offshore Santa Barbara County
Congresswoman Lois Capps, Santa Barbara County Supervisor Salud Carbajal, and
Santa Barbara City Mayor Helene Schneider joined the Environmental Defense Center (EDC), Get Oil Out!
(GOO!), Citizens Planning Association of Santa Barbara (CPA) and The Trust for Public Land (TPL) in supporting
the new 2010 Tranquillon Ridge Plan that will end existing oil drilling offshore Santa Barbara County.
April 7, 2010
Whale of an Opportunity: Conservation Groups Urge Coast Guard to Ensure Protection of Whales in New Study of Shipping Access Routes into LA/LB Ports
In response to the Coast Guard’s announcement in today’s Federal Register that it is conducting a new Port Access Route Study to consider modifying existing shipping lanes through the Santa Barbara Channel into the Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports, conservation organizations urged the agency to ensure that any measures it ultimately enacts provide full protection to endangered whales, including blue, fin, humpback, and orca whales, from the threat of ship strikes.
April 1, 2010
Environmental Groups Call for Decisive ACtion on Agricultural Water Quality Issues
From "America's Salad Bowl" in the Salinas Valley to the Santa Barbara Pinot Noir vineyards made famous by the movie "Sideways," the rich soils of the Central Coast region are some of the most intensively cultivated in our nation. Viable agriculture is key to the economic and environmental sustainability of the Central Coast, but there is a dark side to farming: our waters are polluted by run-off containing fertilizers, pesticides and excess sediment.
March 31, 2010
Federal Oil Lease Plan Protects the California Coast
Despite concerns about expanded oil drilling in other regions, environmental groups
in Santa Barbara were pleased to learn today that Secretary of the Interior Salazar announced recission of President Bush's Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2010-2015. The Bush 2010-2015 Leasing Program opened several new areas to oil and gas leasing offshore Santa Barbara County including the Santa Maria Basin and the entire Santa Barbara Channel.
March 17, 2010
EDC Brings Topic of Ocean Acidification to Local and National Spotlight
A Little over a year ago EDC launched an effort to bring both local and national attention to the emerging topic of ocean acidification. EDC's hopes were recently realized when all thirteen National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Councils took action recognizing ocean acidification as a significant long term threat to the conservation of marine resources.
March 16, 2010
Local Groups Claim Victory at End of LNG Project: Clearwater Port application terminated after company fails to submit required information to permitting agencies
The EDC and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper celebrated today after learning that the application for NorthernStar's Clearport Liquefied Natural Gas project was reminated by the CA State Lands Commission.
January 8, 2010
Environmentalist Support State Reconsideration of Plan to End Oil: Governor's Budget Proposal Would Preserve Existing Requirement for State Lands Commission Approval of Tranquillon Ridge Proposal
The Environmental Defense Center was joined by other environmental groups in supporting reconsideration of the Tranquillon Ridge proposal by the California State Lands Commission.
November 19, 2009
Conservation Organizations Join Legal Effort to Protect Endangered Blue Whale: Recent Ship Strike Mortalities Again Demonstarte Consequences of Government's Decade-Long Delay in Implementing Blue Whale Recovery Plan
Friends of the Earth, Pacific Environment, and Center for Biological Diversity, national and international conservation organizations with a combined membership of more than 120,000 people, today joined a notice of intent (submitted by EDC in August) to sue NMFS for the agency's failure to implement the 1998 Blue Whale Recovery Plan.
October 26, 2009
Local Conservation Working Group Named National Marine Sanctuary Partner of the Year
On Tuesday, October 27, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory's Conservation Working Group (CWG) was presented with the Partner of the Year Award by the Office of the National Marine Sanctuaries for its outstanding dedication and service. The CWG is being recognized for its volunteer work to support the Sanctuary, and--in particular--to help the Sanctuary identify and minimize new and rising threats to the Santa Barbara Channel including ocean acidification.
October 20, 2009
County Takes Steps to Rescind A Giveaway at Naples
On October 20, the Board of Supervisors initiated the rescission of two ill-conceived development agreements for the Santa Barbara Ranch Project at Naples. The Board also took steps to facilitate Coastal Commission review of the Project and restated its own commitment to reviewing Naples related issues with a wide lens and an open mind.
September 30, 2009
Conservation Groups Bring Lawsuit Channenging Government's Failure to Protect Southern Sea Otters
The Otter Project and the Environmental Defense Center filed a lawsuit in federal district court against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on September 30, in response to the Service's failure to issue a final decision repealing the no otter zone--an outdated rule prohibiting southern sea otters from reestablishing historic populations in California waters south of Point Conceptions.
July 21, 2009: Letter to the Editor
Goleta Beach Decision a Victory for Area's Beaches
The California Coastal Commission's recent 9-1 vote to deny a massive erosion control structure proposed for GoletaBeach County Park was a victory for beaches and people who love the coast.
July 8, 2009
Coastal Commission Denies Santa Barbara County Beach Armouring in Resounding 9-1 Vote
Local environmentalists applauded the Coastal Commission’s denial today of Santa Barbara County’s proposed groin project at Goleta Beach. The opposition was led by the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and its client, the Surfrider Foundation, who were joined by other groups including the More Mesa Preservation Coalition, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper and Urban Creeks Council.
March 3, 2009
County Rejects Santa Barbara Ranch Project MOU Revisions
On March 3, 2009, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors revisited a controversial proposal to develop more than 70 estates at Naples on the Gaviota Coast; by voting to reject an amendment to the Santa Barbara Ranch project MOU, approvals may not be set in stone.
March 2, 2009
City of Carpinteria Asks Court to Review the Legality of Venoco's Oil Drilling Initiative
For the past three years, the Environmental Defense Center, Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, Get Oil Out! and the Sierra Club Los Padres Chapter, along with hundreds of Carpinteria residents, have participated in the City of Carpinteria's review of the proposed Venoco oil drilling project known as "Paredon."
February 26, 2009
Environmental Defense Center and Get Oil Out! Receive 2009 Ryerson Memorial Award
The Environmental Defense Center and Get Oil Out! announced today that they have both received 2009 grant awards from the Jim Ryerson Environmental Foundation. The Awards were presented to the two groups by his widow, Christine, on Thursday, February 19, in commemoration of what would have been Jim's 63rd birthday.
January 27, 2009
Environmental Groups Urge CA State Lands Commission to Support Deal to End Offshore Oil Drilling
Twenty-five environmental groups from around the state have signed onto a letter of support for the Tranquillon Ridge proposal, which will guarantee an end to several existing oil and gas developments off the coast of SB.
January 23, 2009
Environmental Coalition Calls on State Lands Commission to Help End Offshore Drilling
January 21, 2009
Farm to Fork--Local Food Guide Hits the Streets
Where to Find and Enjoy the Local Food of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Northern LA
