California Attorney General Rob Bonta formally opposed an expedited federal environmental review that could authorize offshore hydraulic fracturing at Platform Gilda in the Santa Barbara Channel.

The attorney general argued in a March 30, 2026 comment letter that the process violates federal law and longstanding court orders. “Curtailing procedural requirements for environmental review in the name of a fake ‘national energy emergency’ is unlawful,” Bonta said in a statement.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) initiated a fast-tracked environmental review to evaluate a proposal to authorize well stimulation treatments, including fracking, on up to 16 existing wells on Platform Gilda. The authorization of well stimulation treatments is a change from the existing Development and Production Plan, and BOEM is conducting the review under the Interior Department’s “alternative arrangements” for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance during a declared national energy emergency.

Bonta challenged BOEM’s reliance on “alternative arrangements” under a declared national energy emergency to fast-track the environmental impact statement (EIS) process, arguing those procedures are unlawful and inconsistent with federal regulations. Bonta argued that the emergency procedures do not cover well stimulation treatments on Platform Gilda.

Bonta argued that BOEM is bound by a 2022 Ninth Circuit decision and subsequent district court injunction requiring BOEM to complete a full EIS and comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) before approving any permits for well stimulation treatments. Completing a full EIS would take far longer than the expedited review process, which could be completed in roughly 28 days from the date of the notice with 10 days for public comment. Bonta argued that BOEM risks violating that injunction if it proceeds without a comprehensive review.