On this edition of Your Call, we discuss the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken California’s authority to protect the state’s coastline from environmental harm.
The Trump administration has been prevented from eroding California’s coastal protections by a long-standing law called the Coastal Zone Management Act, which gives states like California the right to object to projects in federal waters that conflict with state policies. Now, according to reporting in the Los Angeles Times, Trump officials are attempting to decertify the state’s power under this law through what they are framing as a “performance review” of the state’s coastal management practices, citing California’s “environmental extremism” as the cause.
The Los Angeles Times’ Rosanna Xia writes: "Experts see the investigation — framed as a performance review of the state’s coastal management practices — as a thinly veiled attempt by Trump officials to open California’s coast to more offshore oil drilling, more rocket launches and possibly even floating nuclear reactors. If the federal government succeeds, many worry it could set the stage for similar actions in other coastal states."
How can California protect its coastal waters from threats posed by the Trump administration?
Guests:
Rosanna Xia, author, documentary filmmaker, and environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times
Resources:
The Los Angeles Times: Trump is attacking California’s ability to protect its coastline. The consequences may be dire
The Los Angeles Times: ‘California’s coast is not for sale.’ State battles Trump plan to limit coastal oversight
The Los Angeles Times: An oil company wants to restart fracking off the California coast. The state’s top coastal officials say no way
The Los Angeles Times: Another offshore wind developer exits California in $1.22-billion deal with Trump administration
