Santa Barbara County reverses oil drilling stand

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) - Officials in Santa Barbara County, California, now say they oppose offshore oil drilling in their county.
   
The Board of Supervisors generated national headlines last summer by endorsing drilling. Their latest vote cites the need to preserve the county’s coastline.
   
The latest resolution, which passed 3-2, will be sent to President Barack Obama and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The vote is largely symbolic, but comes a week before the U.S. Department of Interior is scheduled to discuss oil and gas leasing.
   
Proponents of drilling say advancements have made drilling safer than ever. They also say the country desperately needs cash.
   
Offshore drilling has long been a touchy issue in Santa Barbara, an upscale coastal community 100 miles north of Los Angeles. An oil spill in 1969 coated miles of beach and killed thousands of birds.