SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California has initiated a lawsuit against the federal government for approving plans from a Texas-based firm to restart two oil pipelines off the state's coastline. This move intensifies an ongoing battle regarding the Trump administration's rollback of regulations on offshore oil drilling, marking the first such effort in decades.
The federal government approved the plan put forth by Sable Offshore Corp., a Houston-based company, to recommence production in Santa Barbara waters which were contaminated by a significant oil spill in 2015. Federal officials claim this project aligns with President Trump's objectives to boost U.S. energy production.
According to Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta, who addressed the media, the state exercises authority over these pipelines traversing Santa Barbara and Kern counties. The federal administration has no right to usurp California’s regulatory authority, he stated, underlining the state's commitment to protecting its coastal regions and communities from potentially dangerous pipeline operations.
Contrarily, representatives from the U.S. Transportation Department defended their decision, asserting, “Restarting the Las Flores Pipeline will bring much needed American energy to a state with the highest gas prices in the country.”
Despite not replying to media inquiries about the lawsuit, Sable Offshore Corp. has been determined to resume production, even possibly limiting operations to federal waters, where California has negligible regulatory control.
The stakes are heightened as one of the pipelines in question was responsible for a disastrous spill in 2015, releasing over 140,000 gallons of oil and resulting in extensive environmental damage along the Southern California coast. The spill devastated local habitats and had a pronounced negative impact on the fishing industry.
California, moving forward, continues to push for more stringent environmental protections and to phase out reliance on fossil fuels in favor of cleaner energy sources. The recent lawsuit embodies the state's ongoing endeavor to counteract what it perceives as federal overreach and to uphold its environmental standards.
The federal government approved the plan put forth by Sable Offshore Corp., a Houston-based company, to recommence production in Santa Barbara waters which were contaminated by a significant oil spill in 2015. Federal officials claim this project aligns with President Trump's objectives to boost U.S. energy production.
According to Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta, who addressed the media, the state exercises authority over these pipelines traversing Santa Barbara and Kern counties. The federal administration has no right to usurp California’s regulatory authority, he stated, underlining the state's commitment to protecting its coastal regions and communities from potentially dangerous pipeline operations.
Contrarily, representatives from the U.S. Transportation Department defended their decision, asserting, “Restarting the Las Flores Pipeline will bring much needed American energy to a state with the highest gas prices in the country.”
Despite not replying to media inquiries about the lawsuit, Sable Offshore Corp. has been determined to resume production, even possibly limiting operations to federal waters, where California has negligible regulatory control.
The stakes are heightened as one of the pipelines in question was responsible for a disastrous spill in 2015, releasing over 140,000 gallons of oil and resulting in extensive environmental damage along the Southern California coast. The spill devastated local habitats and had a pronounced negative impact on the fishing industry.
California, moving forward, continues to push for more stringent environmental protections and to phase out reliance on fossil fuels in favor of cleaner energy sources. The recent lawsuit embodies the state's ongoing endeavor to counteract what it perceives as federal overreach and to uphold its environmental standards.
