… The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Monday proposed plans to open nearly 2 million acres of land from Santa Barbara to the Bay Area for oil drilling and fracking. … An analysis from the Central Coast field office would allow new drilling in Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Fresno, Merced and San Joaquin counties. It found “minor” and “minimal” impacts to regional air quality and water resources, as well as to five newly listed endangered species in the area including the foothill yellow-legged frog, western spadefoot toad and northwestern pond turtle. … “This proposal puts some of the Central Coast’s most cherished public lands, beaches and drinking water sources directly in the crosshairs of expanded fossil fuel development,” said Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch.

Related articles:

• Los Angeles Times: Trump administration sues California over law keeping oil wells from homes, schools​
• Bay Area News Service: Trump admin says drilling by Bay Area parks will have ‘minimal’ environmental impacts​
• Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, Calif.): Opinion: Offshore drilling plan for California must be rejected​