The California Coastal Commission last week voted unanimously to oppose an oil company’s plan to restart underwater fracking in the Santa Barbara Channel, setting up a new clash with the Trump administration.
The dispute centers on Washington’s broader push to expand industrial uses along California’s coast, including offshore oil activity and spaceport infrastructure, while dismissing state objections as “environmental extremism.”
A 2022 federal court ruling found regulators had bypassed the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act when issuing fracking permits, reinforcing the commission’s role in reviewing such projects.
The company can appeal the decision to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has already ordered a review of the Coastal Zone Management Act and the commission’s role in blocking federal priorities.
The fight revives a long-running struggle over California coastal authority rooted in Proposition 20, passed 54 years ago, and protections strengthened after the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.