Oil Industry Trade Group Challenges California's Ocean Pollution Rules

The Western States Petroleum Association has filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the California Coastal Commission's desire to enforce state water pollution laws on drilling platforms in federal waters off Southern California.

The trade group filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, saying that the commission cannot regulate discharges of wastewater from 22 offshore platforms in waters beyond the state's three-mile regulatory limit.

In March, 2004, the Coastal Commission objected to the EPA providing permits allowing the discharges from the offshore platforms, because state rules were not imposed. The commission wants to regulate ocean discharges if they affect California waters.


Peter Douglas, Executive Director of the commission, said that the oil industry "continues to avoid California ocean water standards, because it fears the rules could be applied to offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and other states.