Group of state legislators have asked the federal government to investigate hydraulic fracturing new oil leases in the disastrous oil spill has been banned since 1969 in California coast.
Fracturing in the Santa Barbara Channel has occurred at least 12 times since the late 1990s, regulators earlier this year approved a new project, according to a recent report by the Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act to obtain permission card and internal mail.
The degree of fracturing in the Pacific will lead to "extreme concern" under the leadership of state legislators, D-Santa Barbara, Assemblyman Das Williams said in a letter this week.
Unlike land, which prompted efforts to fracturing, fracturing or reduction of federal waters prohibited practice is less common, and did not receive the same attention.
Offshore work, which is usually less than do onshore, involving hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, sand and the sea bed pumping a mixture of chemicals. Efforts to increase oil production so far has yielded mixed success.
Federal environmental regulatory agencies have so far been exempted fracturing fluid from the National Clean Water Act, allowing companies to rinse treatment discharge into the sea, without a separate environmental review, AP found.
California Coastal Commission said that until recently, marine hydraulic fracturing, or even require oil companies and plans in the future whether they intend to frack, it does not have any idea. Since the work occurs in federal waters, monitoring falls Interior institution. However, the coastal state regulators have a say, if offshore wind projects affecting water quality or marine mammals.
Fracturing oil industry insists it is safe and will not harm the environment.
Despite these assurances, state lawmakers said they want greater scrutiny practice. In the vast offshore oil fields, Southern California, 1969 issue of more than 3 million gallons of crude oil into the sea, polluting beaches and killing birds and other wild animals live in the past fracks oil spill has occurred.
"We are in the dark, said:" It is very distressing, State Senator Hanna Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, who is who signed a letter to the Ministry of the Interior and the EPA between legislators.
On Thursday, Jackson and other state legislators Coastal Commission petitions permits a closer look at the past and future marine applications.
Sarah Christie Commission spokesman said: "In a statement, the agency" needs its responsibilities to protect the coastal and marine resources very seriously, the staff is currently investigating this matter in order to ensure adequate protection of the California coast.
Jessica Kershaw Interior Ministry spokesman said the agency had received an earlier letter and was reviewing it. EPA said it will review the letter and reiterated its current approval process to ensure that the fluid used in the oil drilling and production will not affect the water quality.
D-Monterey Bay State Rep. Mark Stone, said he was in favor of strengthening supervision offshore fracking.
Stone coast, the former commissioner said he was not concerned about whether the federal government or state should be responsible for "as long as the end result is that offshore hydraulic fracturing have proper oversight and regulation, in order to minimize damage to the environment."