In San Diego County where its pristine coastline is essential to its identity, the Board of Supervisors today went on the record to strongly oppose the Trump administration's reckless proposal to expand offshore oil and gas drilling for 2026-2031, that will be costly, destructive and puts beaches at risk of another devasting oil spill that makes people sick and drives a stake through San Diego’s tourism economy. 

County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Chair Pro Tem Paloma Aguirre, who together represent San Diego County’s coastline, authored the resolution here opposing new offshore oil drilling. Supervisor Lawson-Remer said the resolution opposing offshore oil drilling sends a strong political message to Big Oil executives that San Diego County’s coastline isn’t for sale.

“I’m fighting every day for affordable, local, clean energy and to reduce costs down for working families. Clean energy is cheaper and won’t destroy our economy, health and coastline.  I’ll never forget the sea birds and seals I’ve seen drowning in oil. Californians deserve cheap energy and a clean a healthy environment — we refuse to be the dumping ground for big oil looking to make windfall profits by destroying our health, our environment, and our economy.“ said San Diego Board chair Terra Lawson-Remer who represents nearly the entire coast of San Diego County and serves as chair of the San Diego Community Power Board.

“We’ve seen the harmful impacts of water and air pollution on communities — we’re living it right now in District 1. The last thing our region needs is the added threat of offshore drilling pollution,” said Chair Pro Tem Aguirre. “Donald Trump’s proposal to reopen offshore drilling leases would drag us back into a fight we settled nearly 40 years ago, when Californians on both sides of the aisle agreed our coastline must be protected. Today, San Diegans and this Board are sending a clear message: we will not allow Big Oil to gamble with our beaches, our wildlife, or the small businesses that depend on clean water to make a living.”

At a news conference Monday, the Supervisors’ resolution was supported by tourism, clean energy, environmental and health leaders including Dr. Timothy Morris, a UCSD professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Respiratory Care Department and Pulmonary Function Laboratory.

“Offshore oil drilling in the coastal waters of Southern California is a giant step in the wrong direction.  Even in our beautiful city, the air pollution count is higher than the national standard.  In 2025, San Diego had over 80 days with unhealthful levels of smog.  Every day, our patients with asthma, COPD, lung cancer and other illnesses suffer the long-term effects of air pollution; every day, pollution puts our neighbors at risk of joining them.  For their sake and for our own, San Diegans should lead the way towards cleaner air and not backwards,” said Dr. Timothy Morris.

Cleantech San Diego President and CEO Jason Anderson said it is a proven fact in San Diego and beyond that we no longer live in a time when economic growth has to come at the expense of the environment.

“Renewable energy is often cheaper than fossil fuels, the cost of solar and wind power has fallen dramatically, and the increase of battery energy storage systems unlocks more affordable renewable energy when electricity rates are at their highest. The technologies already exist that are transforming our grid here in San Diego and throughout California, and today’s consumers are on board. Here in San Diego we are fortunate to be part of a community that values innovation and sustainability, guided by leaders in the public, private, and academic sectors who are committed to shaping a positive clean energy future for San Diego and the world that will carry us into the next decade and beyond," said Jason Anderson, President and CEO of Cleantech.

Mitch Silverstein, senior policy coordinator for Surfrider Foundation said offshore drilling is a dirty and dangerous practice that ravages our oceans with chemical pollution, spills, fires and explosions. It kills marine life, pollutes beaches, and puts our entire coastline at risk of a catastrophic oil spill. 

"The Surfrider Foundation is opposed to offshore oil drilling. California's ocean, waves and beaches are vital recreational, economic and ecological treasures that would be polluted by an expansion of offshore oil drilling. We cannot afford yet another oil spill off our coast," said Mitch Silverstein of Surfrider Foundation.

"Coastal tourism and recreation alone support over 430,000 jobs and contribute more than $40 billion to the state's economy annually. A single major oil spill could devastate this economic engine."

John Crumley, a small business owner of Cow-A-Bunga Ice Cream & Coffee in Imperial Beach, knows all too well how pollution can sink a business. 

“Imperial Beach was once a booming beach town, and just like the rest of San Diego County’s coastal cities, our identity, culture, and economy all thrived on one simple premise: people going to the beach,” said John Crumley, owner of Cow-A-Bunga Ice Cream. “When the plumes of sewage and toxic waste come up from the Tijuana River, that premise is shattered, and families take their vacations and dollars elsewhere. Now we face another, potentially catastrophic, long-term threat to our small businesses: offshore drilling.”