By Sam Womack/Staff Writer
An offshore oil drilling project that once had strong local support has drawn vocal opposition since the governor added it to the state’s budget proposal this week.
But a representative for the proposed operator, Plains Exploration and Production Co. (PXP), said Santa Barbara County residents can still expect the same benefits from the project off Vandenberg Air Force Base even though the agency approving the project has changed.
A “ground-breaking” agreement between PXP and local environmental groups who have always opposed oil production — including the Environmental Defense Center, Get Oil Out! and Citizens Planning Association — still applies, said Steve Rusch, PXP vice president of governmental affairs.
“There have been a lot of misstatements ... from the various news and print media,” he said.
Project approval, Rusch explained, means PXP shuts down two offshore oil platforms and two onshore processing facilities in the county in less than 15 years.
Also, 4,000 acres of property near Lompoc would be preserved, the project’s greenhouse gas emissions would be mitigated, and funding to purchase clean buses would be provided to the county.