(The Guardian) California attorney general Rob Bonta filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to block a Department of Energy order that allows Sable Offshore Corp to restart two onshore oil pipelines linked to the devastating 2015 Refugio Beach oil spill, according to a statement released Monday.
The lawsuit stems from Energy secretary Chris Wright’s order to restart the pipelines earlier this month, declaring a national emergency and directing Sable Offshore Corp to prioritize the transportation of crude oil over any other existing contracts.
California officials argue the move is an unconstitutional overreach that ignores state safety laws and risks another environmental catastrophe on the Santa Barbara coast for “negligible” domestic energy gains.
“The fossil fuel industry says ‘Jump,’ and the Trump administration asks, ‘How high?’,” Bonta said in the statement. “The Trump administration and its oil industry buddies are once again violating the law and trampling on our state’s rights in pursuit of corporate profits.”
“California has seen first-hand the devastating environmental and public health impacts of these pipelines rupturing, and there are court-ordered legal requirements in place to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” he added. “But instead of following the law, the Trump administration and an increasingly desperate Sable are attempting to ride roughshod over state authority and judicial independence – all so that Sable can profit.”
oag.ca.gov
The lawsuit stems from Energy secretary Chris Wright’s order to restart the pipelines earlier this month, declaring a national emergency and directing Sable Offshore Corp to prioritize the transportation of crude oil over any other existing contracts.
California officials argue the move is an unconstitutional overreach that ignores state safety laws and risks another environmental catastrophe on the Santa Barbara coast for “negligible” domestic energy gains.
“The fossil fuel industry says ‘Jump,’ and the Trump administration asks, ‘How high?’,” Bonta said in the statement. “The Trump administration and its oil industry buddies are once again violating the law and trampling on our state’s rights in pursuit of corporate profits.”
“California has seen first-hand the devastating environmental and public health impacts of these pipelines rupturing, and there are court-ordered legal requirements in place to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” he added. “But instead of following the law, the Trump administration and an increasingly desperate Sable are attempting to ride roughshod over state authority and judicial independence – all so that Sable can profit.”
Attorney General Bonta Files Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration to Stop Executive Overreach Purporting to Authorize Illegal Oil Transportation in Sable Pipelines
The lawsuit filed today challenges the Department of Energy’s unlawful order under the Defense Production Act LOS ANGELES — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, on behalf of the State of California, today announced a new lawsuit against the Trump Administration challenging the U.S. Department...
