California Coastal Commission rejects offshore fracking at Platform Gilda

The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to object to a proposal by DCOR LLC to restart offshore fracking operations at Platform Gilda in the Santa Barbara Channel. The platform, located approximately nine miles off the coast of Ventura/Oxnard, was installed in 1981 and has been in use for over 45 years.

Commissioners cited significant concerns regarding the potential for oil spills, the difficulty of containing leaks in high seas, and the risks associated with injecting toxic fracking fluids into the seafloor. Staff reports also highlighted the age of the infrastructure, questioning whether the platform is sturdy enough to support an additional 20 years of production.

The proposal aimed to increase oil production from 1,100 barrels per day to 4,000 barrels per day by utilizing 16 offshore wells. While DCOR argued the plan is consistent with state management programs, the commission's rejection marks a significant assertion of state authority over federal waters amid ongoing jurisdictional tensions between California and the federal government.