Coastal Panel Member Fired

On July 7, the California Senate Rules Committee relieved Gilbert Contreras of his duties on the California Coastal Commission. The Sierra Club believes that this action was long overdue and was a responsible action by Sen. David Roberti (D-Los Angeles) and the committee. We support the committee’s action.

Contreras is a developer in San Diego whose business transactions have been sharply criticized by the San Diego City Council (acting as the Housing Commission) and the Department of Urban Development. He lacks the experience and the qualifications that the Sierra Club believes appointees to the Coastal Commission need to carry out that body’s critical regulatory duties.

Californians expect the Coastal Commission to protect the state’s coast and Contreras failed to carry out that obligation. The consequences of three votes will have an enormous and long-lasting effect on the Southern California coast. Three specific votes against the environment and for off-shore oil drilling and unrestrained development are of particular note:

- Platform Gail--this new Chevron offshore platform next to the Channel Islands in Santa Barbara was strongly opposed by environmentalists.

- Platform Julius--a new offshore platform far to the north of existing drilling activity that will impact on sea otter (an endangered species) habitat.

- Los Angeles County’s Malibu Land Use Plan got Contreras’ vote despite the strong opposition of the local community and regional environmental groups because of severe impacts due to the development density on watersheds, sewage and water quality.

The Sierra Club rejects Contreras’ assertion that his removal from the Coastal Commission by the Senate Rules Committee was due to his ethnicity. Roberti deserves credit for taking action to remove Contreras.

BOB HARTMAN

Secretary

Sierra Club California