To the editor: The California Legislature ought to replace the oil drilling licensing charge construction (“Trump administration orders restart of oil drilling alongside California coast amid Iran conflict,” March 13). Anybody extracting oil off our coast ought to pay extra fees to cowl prices associated to:
- Well being protection for our residents who will endure extra medical wants from the drilling;
- Environmental harm suffered on land and within the water;
- Cleanup that will likely be obligatory as soon as the corporate leaves us holding the bag;
- And financial harm brought on by unfavorable impact to tourism.
Maybe a modest $10 per barrel in every class can be about proper. With the correct quantity, drilling off our coast would change into too costly and discourage this kind of folly.
David Helkenn, San Diego
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To the editor: This administration begins a conflict, creating an increase in oil costs, after which orders resumption of environmentally damaging offshore drilling. It remembers the not-so-funny joke about the one who kills their mother and father after which claims mercy as a result of they’re an orphan.
Larry Harmell, Los Angeles

