Post 790: October 5th, 2021. You've likely seen the Orange County oil spill in the news by now, but if not - time to fill you in. Over the weekend, between 126,000 and 144,000 gallons of oil leaked from a pipeline off the coast of Orange County, California. The oil has since washed up along area beaches, fisheries, and the ecologically-fragile Talbert Marsh. . The entirety of the impact has yet to be seen as crews work to contain the spill, but the leak has opened up an even larger debate: whether or not to allow new oil drilling leases along the West Coast. California has blocked new oil drilling leases from its waters since 1969, but some lawmakers are pushing to extend the ban to Oregon and Washington coasts. Representatives would prefer to ban all offshore drilling along their coasts, but it is yet to be determined if they have the power to cancel active leases (many of which don't come with an expiration date). Depending on how negotiations go, legislation to block new oil drilling leases along the West Coast could get included in the budget bill currently being debated. . . Read more about the push from lawmakers and the fallout from the oil spill: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/10/05/california-oil-spill-drilling-ban/ . Graphic shows a surfboard in the sand at a beach with oil washing up to it. The factoid reads: "In the wake of the Orange County oil spill, lawmakers are pushing to end all new oil drilling leases along the entire West Coast." . . #orangecountyoil #orangecounty #californiaoilspill #californiaoil #californiaoilban #westcoastoilban #westcoastoildrilling #stopdrilling #downwithdrilling #oilspill #pixelplanet #pixelplanettoday #pixelart #planetfacts