Trump Admin Sues California to Block Oil Drilling Setback Rule

A 2022 state law bars oil and gas development activities within 3,200 feet of ’sensitive' locations, including homes, schools, and hospitals.
Trump Admin Sues California to Block Oil Drilling Setback Rule
Oil pumps operate in the Los Angeles area on July 30, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Bill Pan
Bill Pan
Reporter
|Updated:
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The Trump administration is suing California over a law that requires oil and gas drilling sites to be kept more than half a mile away from homes and other locations deemed “sensitive.”

The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 14, challenges California’s Senate Bill 1137. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the measure in 2022, but it only took full effect in mid-2024 after an oil industry-backed referendum seeking to repeal it was withdrawn.