California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Friday the state is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) asserting federal jurisdiction over two state pipelines, and green lighting their restart. (Fred Greaves/Reuters, File)
Bonta claims because the pipelines are located solely in California without crossing state lines and without going into federal waters, "oversight of the pipelines is controlled by California, not the federal government."
"The Trump administration unlawfully undermined California’s authority, unlawfully federalized the pipelines, and usurped state control and unlawfully issued Sable a sham emergency permit to begin pumping oil when there’s absolutely no emergency," he said.
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Bonta added, "In short, the Trump administration broke the law again, which is why we are suing again."
Workers cleaning up following the Refugio oil spill disaster in 2015. ( Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
He explained that Sable asked the Trump administration to declare the pipelines "interstate," meaning "the pipelines are part of a larger system that extends into federal waters on the outer continental shelf. That is a fantasy. That is not true."
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He called it a "pretext to usurp state oversight."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-sues-trump-administration-allegedly-unlawful-pipeline-restart-approval-years-oil-spill