Jackson backs California coastline control in federal hearing
By Laura Garber
by Laura Garber
An oil rig set nine-miles offshore of Ventura, in the Santa Barbara Channel, has become the focal point of the Trump administration attempts to wrest control of California’s coastal waters
away from the California Coastal Commission.
At the forefront of the federal controversy is Hermosa Beach City Councilmember, Ray Jackson, who was appointed to represent the South Coast on the California Coastal Commission in May 2025.
The Trump administration recently called California’s coastal policies “environmental extremism,” and has sought a “performance review” of the state’s compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Act. The 1972, Nixon-era federal act gives coastal states the right to review projects in federal waters that violate state policy.
Jackson testified before federal authorities at a National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration CZMA hearing at the Hilton Hotel in Santa Monica on August 10.
CZMA hearings typically take place every five to seven years. The August 2026 meeting ordered by President Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick came just two years after the previous CZMA hearing.
Jackson said at the hearing that local communities bear the brunt of federal actions.
“When something goes wrong, we are the ones helping our communities recover and rebuild. When we talk about potentially decertifying the California Coastal Management Program, we are not talking about a technical adjustment. We are talking about removing a core layer of local voice from decisions about our coast. That would be a serious step backward and, in my view, a direct hit to the principles of representative government,” Jackson said at the hearing.
“If there is one message I want the federal government to hear today, it is this: working with the Coastal Commission through the CZMA to incorporate the perspectives, priorities, and values of local governments makes federal projects better. It makes them more durable. And it makes them less likely to end up in court or create unintended consequences that erode public trust. We do not always agree. That is not a flaw in the system. That is the system working as intended.”
Over the last five decades, the Commission has voted in favor of nearly 96% of federal projects, Jackson said.
The California Coastal Commission voted on Thursday, August 13, during its meeting in Santa Cruz, to object to a proposal by DCOR, an Oxnard-based oil company, to reinstate underwater fracking operations at Platform Gilda in the Santa Barbara Channel.
The proposed fracking is beyond the State’s jurisdictions but CZMA allows for the State’s input.
The company operates 20 of California’s 27 offshore oil and gas platforms.
“The program is expected to increase Platform Gilda’s oil production from approximately 1,100 barrels to approximately 4,000 barrels of oil per day and to support recovery of approximately two million barrels of oil and 13 million cubic feet of natural gas over the next 20 years,” Dave Bradley, DCOR’s Chief Operating Officer wrote in a letter to the Coastal Commission.
The 45-year-old oil wells at Platform Gilda have doubled their anticipated 18-year operating life, which is raising concerns among environmentalists, surfers, Indigenous leaders and businesses who spoke at the August 13, commission meeting.
Jackson expressed appreciation at the August 13 Santa Cruz meeting for the human ingenuity behind offshore fracking, but cautioned against its potential environmental impact.
“The juice isn’t worth the squeeze,” he said at the commission meeting.
“DCOR’s proposal relies on an old, offshore platform, aging equipment and pipelines that transport oil to shore. That creates far too many opportunities for something to go wrong. And when something does go wrong, it’s our ocean, beaches, wildlife and coastal economy that pay the price,” Jackson said.
The Coastal Commission’s unanimous objection to the DCOR proposal could be overturned in court or appealed by Lutnick on grounds of national interest or national security.
Bradley challenged the staff report’s concerns about the aging infrastructure.
“To be clear, if the [development and production plan] Update is not approved, DCOR will continue to operate Platform Gilda under its existing federal lease and approved DPP,” Bradley wrote in his letter to the Coastal Commission. “The platform, pipelines, and associated infrastructure will remain in service. The spill risk profile staff identifies in connection with the characterization of ‘aging infrastructure’ exists independently of this application. The proposed DPP Update does not create the infrastructure conditions Staff analyzes.”
“This will not be the last time deep pockets and powerful interests come knocking at our coastal door,” Jackson told Easy Reader in reference to the Commission’s vote and how it may impact Hermosa Beach. “We must all stay involved, pay attention and be prepared to lend our collective voices to the conversation and, when necessary, the fight.” ER
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