Pedro Nava Named Legislator Of The Year By PCL
By Matt Mason
on Oct 29, 2009 at 11:38 PM in Politics
Assembly member Pedro Nava has been selected as the Planning and Conservation League’s (PCL) 2009 Legislator of the Year for his efforts to fight expanded oil drilling off the California Coast and for pursuing an oil severance tax. The award is given every year to a legislator who has made an outstanding contribution to California’s environmental laws and policy–making in the previous session.
“I am honored to receive this award for my efforts to protect the natural environment and for continuing to fight new offshore oil drilling,” said Nava. “For more than 40 years the Planning and Conservation League has been a strong voice for the preservation and restoration of California’s environment and I am humbled to receive this recognition.”
According to the award letter to Nava from PCL, the award is being given in recognition of Assemblymember Nava’s “leadership in defeating PXP’s proposal and for being a champion for an oil severance tax.”
“PXP” refers to a proposal brought by the Texas–based oil company Plains Exploration and Production Company to drill in California Sanctuary waters for the first time since 1969. PXP’s proposal was buoyed by early environmental support from local Santa Barbara environmental groups. However, following revelations by the State Lands Commission, the State Attorney General’s Office, and from Assemblymember Nava that the supposed environmental benefits were unenforceable and not realistic, most of the non–oil industry support faded.
Nava, with the help of others in the State Assembly including Wesley Chesbro, Nancy Skinner, John Pérez, Karen Bass, and Dave Jones, were able to build a large coalition of 94 environmental groups including the Planning and Conservation League, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Surfrider Foundation, Environment California, Audubon and many more, to oppose the ill–conceived drilling proposal.
“Assemblymember Nava’s work to protect California’s coast by opposing the PXP proposal was excellence in action,” said PCL Executive Director Traci Sheehan. “We are pleased to honor him with the Legislator of the Year Award for his leadership and innovative thinking.”
