New questions are surfacing about the oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach and the emergency response. Did the pipeline’s owner, Amplify Energy, do everything it could to prevent the spill? Could officials have acted faster to warn the public? Should offshore drilling be banned to prevent oil spills like this one?
Congressman Mike Levin says the answer to that last question is “yes.” And he wants to hold congressional hearings to find the answer to those two other questions.
Levin’s district includes Southern Orange County and Northern San Diego County. He’s introduced legislation that would ban new oil drilling in federal waters off the Southern California coast. His proposal is included in the $3.5 trillion spending plan being debated right now in Congress.
Levin speaks to KCRW and the following interview has been edited for clarity.
Read the full article or listen on KCRW here.