California stopped offering new offshore drilling leases after a massive Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969. The state formally banned new leases in 1994.
But that only applied to state waters, which stretch out from California’s shoreline for three nautical miles. This new action bans offshore drilling in federal waters, which begins at that three mile mark and ends at 200 nautical miles.
Jenn Eckerle is the executive director of California’s Ocean Protection Council.
"Not only is this a huge step towards conserving wildlife and habitat, and protecting Coastal communities … But also, this transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy is essential for making sure we can combat the climate crisis."
President-elect Donald Trump has already expressed interest in repealing the ban. But Eckerle says Trump was unable to repeal a similar ban during his last presidency, and that undoing this decision will likely be difficult.
