|
The
U.S. Bureau of Land Management will offer seven parcels covering
4,100 acres (16.59 square kilometers) of federal land in Kern
County, which is home to most of the state's drilling activity.
The sale will be conducted online via the auction site EnergyNet.
The auction in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s
administration represents yet another clash between Trump's
pro-fossil fuel agenda and the Golden State's efforts to combat
climate change – a battle that has been waged on issues ranging
from auto emissions to curbs on pollution from the power sector.
Joe Biden, a Democrat who will succeed Trump on Jan. 20, has
pledge to halt new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and
waters as part of a sweeping plan to fight global warming.
Federal drilling auctions in California were halted in 2013
after state officials filed lawsuits challenging the practice on
environmental and health grounds.
BLM concluded last December that opening the lands to
development presents no health risks.
State officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, filed a formal
protest against the sale with BLM last month.
"It is unacceptable that BLM finds insignificant, and fails to
mitigate, the greenhouse gas emissions of the proposed leasing
at a time when California is experiencing the devastating
impacts of global climate change — with record temperatures and
some of the worst wildfires and resulting air pollution in state
history," the complaint read.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
