Supervisors Vicente Sarmiento and Katrina Foley recently voted to oppose expanded offshore drilling in Orange County. While this may sound like a win for environmentalists, it will be yet another blow to the hard-working families of Orange County.
While Supervisor Foley speaks of “pristine coastlines,” she ignores the harsh economic reality facing her colleague Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento’s constituents. Sarmiento oversees the Second District, the poorest in Orange County, where residents in cities like Santa Ana are being hammered by some of the highest fuel prices in the nation.
For these families, gas is not a luxury—it is a necessity for reaching work and supporting their households. Yet, under years of one-party rule in Sacramento, California’s gas prices have soared. In late 2020, U.S. regular gas averaged just $2.17 per gallon. By December 2025, California’s average has surged to $4.45 per gallon, more than doubling in five years.
The disparity between California and its neighbors is staggering. While Californians pay nearly $4.50 per gallon, our Southwestern neighbors enjoy much lower costs:
- Arizona: $3.26
- Nevada: $3.67
- New Mexico: $2.80
- Utah: $3.30
Furthermore, the “environmental” argument against drilling often overlooks California’s natural history. For thousands of years, the California coast has experienced massive natural oil seepage. Off the coast of Santa Barbara alone, natural seeps release an estimated 20 to 25 tons of oil into the ocean every single day! These natural leaks contribute approximately 5 million gallons of oil to the Pacific annually—often far exceeding the volume of accidental spills. In fact, scientific “fingerprinting” shows that most tar found on our beaches is the result of these ancient natural processes, not modern drilling.
Rejecting new drilling won’t stop oil from entering our waters; it will only ensure we remain dependent on expensive oil imports while local families struggle to survive a “self-inflicted energy crunch”. It is time for our leaders to stop prioritizing optics and start providing relief to the residents who can least afford the cost of their political agendas.
Readers can contact the Supervisors directly via the following official channels:
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento (District 2)
- Email: Vicente.Sarmiento@bos2.oc.gov
- Phone: (714) 834-3220
- Online Contact Form: Available on his official District 2 Contact Page.
Supervisor Katrina Foley (District 5)
- Email: Katrina.Foley@ocgov.com
- Phone: (714) 834-3550
- Online Contact Form: Available via the District 5 Message Portal.
General Board Communications
To ensure a message is included in the official public record for upcoming board meetings, readers can also email the Clerk of the Board at response@ocgov.com.
Mailing Address for Both Offices:
400 W. Civic Center Drive
Santa Ana, CA 92701