Trump regime launches lawsuit against California law protecting communities from oil drilling

Sacramento — In the latest episode in the Trump regime’s attacks on climate protections across the nation, the Department of “Justice” filed a complaint against Senate Bill 1137, California’s landmark health buffer zone law.

The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) filed the complaint in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on Jan. 14 to stop the implementation of SB 1138, a hard-fought for law that prevents oil and gas development activities within 3,200 feet of sensitive receptors, including homes, schools, hospitals and churches.

Trump’s “Justice” Department claims SB 1137 would “knock out about one-third of all federally authorized oil and gas leases in California.” This lawsuit further alleges that federal law — the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Land and Policy Management Act — “preempts SB 1137.”

This lawsuit advances President Trump’s directive in Executive Order 14260, Protecting American Energy from State Overreach. That’s the order that directs the DOJ to stop the enforcement of state laws that “unreasonably burden domestic energy development so that energy will once again be reliable and affordable for all Americans.”

“This is yet another unconstitutional and radical policy from Gavin Newsom that threatens our country’s energy independence and makes energy more expensive for the American people,” claimed Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “In accordance with President Trump’s executive orders, this Department of Justice will continue to fight burdensome regulations that violate federal law and hamper domestic energy production — especially in California, where Newsom is clearly intent on subverting federal law at every opportunity.”

However, climate justice advocates countered that this is the only the latest tactic to further the Trump administration’s reckless “Drill Baby Drill” agenda, according to a statement from the Last Chance Alliance (LCA), a coalition of public health, environmental justice, climate, and labor organizations that came together around a shared vision for a fossil-free California:

“The Trump administration’s lawsuit is another attack on common sense health protections, attempting to expand dangerous drilling at the expense of California frontline communities,” the LCA wrote. “Without health buffer zones, California communities already experiencing some of the worst air quality in the nation stand to further suffer the public health and climate consequences of dirty oil drilling, including birth defects, asthma, and cancer.”

Frontline communities, health, and climate groups have already beat back a $60 million misinformation campaign from Big Oil that tried to reverse the law with a failed referendum attempt in 2024. The policy has been in effect for the past year and a half.  Organizations that successfully protected SB 1137 in the past say they “are ready to fight again,” and push back on Federal calls to ‘Drill Baby Drill.’” 

Representatives of advocacy groups responded to the latest attack on climate laws with outrage and concern for the frontline communities that would be harmed if the lawsuit prevails.

“This complaint by the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice against California’s SB 1137 is a direct attack on the health and dignity of Kern County communities that have lived for decades next to oil wells, toxic air, and unchecked industrial pollution,” said Juan Flores, Organizing Director at the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment. “Families in places like Arvin, Shafter, Lamont, and Lost Hills already experience some of the highest rates of asthma, respiratory illness, and other pollution-related health impacts in the state.”

“SB 1137 was a long-overdue step to put people’s health before oil industry profits by creating basic protections around homes, schools, and neighborhoods. By undermining this law the Trump administration would only deepen existing environmental injustices and send a dangerous message that the lives of low-income communities and communities of color in Kern County are disposable,” Flores stated.

“The DOJ’s lawsuit attempts to reduce a life-saving oil drilling buffer zone law for thousands of Californians down to a radical policy from Gavin Newsom,” echoed Darryl Molina Sarmiento, Executive Director for Communities for a Better Environment. “This is a direct insult to thousands who live with neighborhood oil drilling operations in their backyards and who fought to pass this historic law.” 

In Wilmington, there are parks, churches, homes, schools, daycares, and many more sites next to oil-drilling derricks, and the proximity to constant fumes has directly impacted the health of thousands. Sarmiento noted that 1 in 3 households report cancer in Wilmington versus 1 in 10 households across the U.S. 

“The people of California are seeking environmental justice against Big Oil’s dirty operations while their federal government is actively attempting to take their agency away. We must come together to protect SB 1137,” Sarmiento vowed.

Kassie Siegel, Director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute, agreed with Sarmiento’s concerns over the lawsuit.

“Attempting to block the law that protects the air we breathe and the water we drink from oil industry pollution is the Trump administration’s latest attack on our state. Big Oil backed down from their deceitful referendum campaign because Californians wouldn’t stand for it,” Siegel noted. “This is a last-ditch attempt to overturn the law’s critical health protections. I’m confident this historic law will stand.” 

Likewise, Miguel Miguel, Director, Sierra Club California, observed.“People’s health is not up for negotiation. SB 1137 is a commonsense public health law that protects frontline communities from new oil drilling, No family should have to live in a world where toxic pollution in their own neighborhood is commonplace. Trump’s attacks on this law are a brazen attempt to put oil industry profits over our environment and the public health of Californian communities. Californians have fought off Big Oil’s $60 million misinformation campaign, and Sierra Club California and our allies are ready to defend SB 1137 again.”  

Cesar Aguirre with Central California Environmental Justice Network pointed out, “Whether on private or public lands, California has a responsibility and the authority to protect its residents from harmful pollution. The families living near oil sites on federal leases deserve the same health protections as everyone else, including safe distances between toxic drilling and their homes, schools, and hospitals. Our duty to protect public health and ensure every Californian can breathe clean air doesn’t stop at the border of public lands.”  

“Corporate polluters dumped millions into their failed referendum effort to rollback California’s setbacks law, which they withdrew when polling showed voters’ continued support for a health and safety buffer between wells and communities,” added Food & Water Watch California Director Nicole Ghio. “Now the Trump Administration is stepping in to do Big Oil’s bidding yet again – and proving yet again that they believe these corporations’ profits are more important than our lives.” 

“The evidence is clear, people living near or working near wells are subjected to breathing in dirty air from oil and gas wells as the toxins they produce seep into the atmosphere,” argued Dominic Frongillo, Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) Executive Director and Co-Founder. “They develop lifelong ailments like asthma, and various cancers. Too many have died prematurely from the proximity of these fossil fuel operations, mostly in environmental justice communities.”

“That’s why California established the health buffer zone law that prevents new oil drilling within 3,200 feet of sensitive receptors, including schools, homes, hospitals and churches. The Department of Justice’s attempt to abolish this law invades the rights of the people of California. Over 500 elected officials from California signed a letter to help establish these buffer zones. The DOJ’s unfounded lawsuit will not stand,” Frongillo said.

Kevin Koenig, Climate and Energy Director at Amazon Watch, noted that Trump’s latest attack on California law is due to the deep influence Big Oil has over the administration. 

“This federal attack on SB 1137 makes one thing clear: Big Oil is calling the shots in the White House,” said Koenig. “This lawsuit is not about the law, it is about protecting oil company profits at any cost. It directly undermines California’s efforts to defend public health and the basic right to live free from oil industry pollution. Expanding oil drilling anywhere, from Venezuela to the Amazon to California, harms communities and accelerates the climate crisis. A just energy transition means moving away from fossil fuels, starting with keeping oil drilling and infrastructure away from where people live, work, and play.” 

Marcia Hanscom, Community Organizer with Defend Ballona Wetlands on the Los Angeles coast, also weighed in on the DOJ lawsuit.

“There is no reason to be taking this action that would invalidate the declared position of the voters of this State, placed into law by our elected representatives – no reason except to try to bully our people, which is not something the President of the United States is entitled to do. Our people and the plants and animals that share this space with us in this beautiful state of California, filled with biodiversity, deserve to have clean air to breathe and to not be subjected to the toxic chemicals that accompany oil and fossil gas production,” said Hanscom.

“From Day One, the Trump administration has prioritized fossil fuel industry profits over the health and safety of working families. His attack on California’s setbacks rule makes this even clearer,” added Allie Rosenbluth, U.S. Program Manager at Oil Change International. “Trump is eager to allow Big Oil to drill in backyards and near schools and hospitals, all so his donors – who spent over $200 million to elect Trump and Republicans during the last election cycle – can profit even more. Governor Gavin Newsom and other state leaders must do all they can to block Trump’s latest attack on Californians’ health and safety,” 

Colin O’Brien, Earthjustice Deputy Managing Attorney, concluded, “The California legislature lawfully adopted SB1137 establishing a common-sense oil and gas setback consistent with the state’s long-recognized role in cooperative regulation of oil and gas activity on federal lands.”

New world record for crude oil production set under Trump regime

Ironically, while the A.G. Bondi filed the lawsuit against SB 1137 in California to supposedly “fight burdensome regulations that violate federal law and hamper domestic energy production,” despite state regulations, the U.S. has been the biggest oil producer on the planet over the past three years.

U.S. crude oil production crushed all time world records in 2023 with 12.9 million barrels per day and 13.2 million barrels per day in 2024 under the Biden administration, according to the Energy Information Agency (EIA). Crude oil production then jumped to a new record high of 13.6 million in 2025 under the Trump administration. 

The EIA forecasts that crude oil production will “drop slightly” to 13.5 million barrels per day in 2026, but that will still be more crude oil than any previous administration, including the previous Trump administration or other government in the history of the planet. Don’t believe me? Then go here: www.eia.gov/…

As comedian George Carlin said so well, “The U.S. is an oil company with an army.” 

That comedic nugget has never been more true than under the Donald Trump administration.