By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it sued to block a California law requiring oil and gas drilling to be separated from schools, homes and hospitals by buffer zones of more than half a mile (1 km).
The Justice Department said it sought an injunction against the legislation’s enforcement and will seek a preliminary injunction in the coming days.
To protect public health, California’s Senate Bill 1137, which went into full force in 2024, bans new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet (975 metres) of community spaces and imposes new health and safety requirements on existing wells.
The Justice Department, arguing that federal legislation should preempt the state law, said in a statement that the bill “would knock out about one-third of all federally authorized oil and gas leases in California.”
Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which favors fossil fuel development, and Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has positioned the state as a global leader in the fight against climate change, have been harshly critical of each other.
According to environmental group Earthjustice, more than three million Californians, or 8% of the state’s population, live within 3,200 feet of active oil wells. Those people face health harms including asthma, preterm birth and reduced lung function, the group said.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
