California governor no longer backs offshore oil plan

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SAN FRANCISCO | Mon May 3, 2010 7:29pm EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Citing the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico that threatens several U.S. states, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Monday that he no longer will support a plan to expand drilling off California's coast.

The Republican governor of the most populous U.S. state had been calling for more oil drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara.

Drilling would raise money for the state government, which faces a $20 billion budget shortfall, but the idea has met determined resistance in the Democrat-led legislature.

Speaking at a media event regarding the state's preparations for California's fire season, Schwarzenegger said televised images of the oil slick moving toward the U.S. Gulf Coast prompted his change of heart.

"I am withdrawing my support," Schwarzenegger said, referring to efforts to boost California's offshore oil production.

(Reporting by Jim Christie, editing by Philip Barbara)
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Comments (8)
kartographer wrote:
Offshore drilling = TERMINATED!

Hasta La Vista, Baby!

May 03, 2010 8:41pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
TxCharlie wrote:
I think what we have here is a “Girley Man’ (referring to his dumb 1970’s Saturday Night Live episode).

I think baring British Petroleum from operating plants and rigs in the USA should be sufficient safeguards – the are obviously using inferior or old blowout preventers. The blowout preventers on USA rigs have almost never failed, even through Katrina.

May 03, 2010 8:42pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
BCARRES10 wrote:
Screw him and screw california!The rest of us have been paying their way long enough. Just so they can live in their own little world without reality.It’s time to cut our losses and divide it among its bordering states,who,hopefully would enforce “the laws of the land” and balance a budget…

May 03, 2010 9:22pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
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