Revised Oil Exploration News

The U.S. Interior Department suspended 36 oil leases in California's offshore waters and ordered a review of the impact the drilling would have on the environment. The environmental reviews on each lease will reportedly take 18 to 45 months. A department official said that the decision reflects a commitment to protect California's marine and coastal environment. Many California residents oppose offshore drilling, remembering the 1969 oil spill off Santa Barbara that spoiled miles of beach and killed hundreds of birds. Because the oil companies holding the leases are planning new or revised oil exploration, development and production activities…

California's governor, attorney general and the California Coastal Commission filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department to allow the state a say in the fate of oil drilling leases off the state's coast. California Coastal Commission Chair Sara Wan said the state was denied its mandatory right to review the leases for environmental issues. "It doesn't mean we would necessarily seek a ban on offshore drilling," Wan said. "The commission is saying (the leases) could have serious impacts on coastal resources and the state needs the right to look at the leases. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Oakland, Calif., the state attorney general's office said.