California Attorney General Rob Bonta is blasting a federal proposal to allow fracking to stimulate oil production off the Ventura County coastline. Bonta also argues that if approved, fracking would violate a federal court ruling.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposed allowing fracking on up to 16 wells on Platform Gilda, off the coast of Ventura.
Fracking is the high-pressure injection of water and chemicals into wells to increase oil production. But it also creates concerns about the pollution it may cause, as well as the potential for accidents.
The state won a lawsuit against the federal agency in 2022, which requires environmental studies before fracking can occur.
In January of 2025, President Trump declared a national energy emergency. The federal agency is using that order as the basis for trying to fast-track the Platform Gilda fracking proposal.
Bonta argues that if approved, the fracking would violate the court's decision. He also asserts that the federal government failed to document any national energy emergency justifying the suspension of the legally mandated environmental review process.
