And executive order signed by President Trump on Friday has gotten swift reaction from legislators and the -- environmentalists. The president has ordered a review of auditions on offshore oil drilling with the goal of expanding offshore drilling including from the coast. It can also lead to a reduction in the size of national sanctuaries. Joining me is Paul Rogers environmental reporter with the San Jose Mercury news. Before he left office the put together a plan that did not allow for any offshore drilling. This executive order say that -- change that? It could I would say it is not a successful road. President Obama approved the latest plan for drilling in federal waters. Federal waters in the United States are others waters that are more than three miles from shore. Basically the government sets up five-year plans where they decide which areas are going to be open for companies to lease. As he mentioned in the 2017 to 2022 plan that Obama finalized he did not call for any new oil drilling anywhere in the Pacific Ocean nor did he open any new areas off the Atlantic. He opened new leases nine of them in the golf and one off Alaska in the Cook Inlet near Anchorage. Oil companies wanted more. The executive order also appears to threaten a reduction in size of marine sanctuaries. Without be to accommodate new oil drilling? National marine sanctuaries were set up in 1972 under President Nixon and no present house over reduce the national Marine sanctuary in size or eliminated or revoked from a previous president. With this requires is for the commerce secretary who is in charge of the agency that oversees the sanctuary to go back. President Obama enlarged and basically doubled the size of the goals of the national Marine sanctuary which is recently off San Francisco and Marine County. The extent of it about 50 miles off the Sonoma Coast toward Mendocino. If that was undone they would not allow oil drilling right away certainly it would make it easier to start a leasing process where they could try in the future. What has been the reaction to this executive order from California legislators? Californians have a long history with off shore oil starting. In the 1950s which is when a lot of the platforms that are also in California right now were first about the 50s 60s and 70s and there was a famous Santa Barbara blowout in 1969 from a Unocal platform and a lot of legislators cited that event as the reason they do not want any new oil drilling. Dianne Feinstein Gavin Newsom and many others did and they will put up every single roadblock they can. This review is asking government heads of agencies to write a report and send it back to the Trump administration. I would expect that when that report comes back and six months and will recommend new places to open for drilling. That's just the start of a new process. That will have to be two years of meetings and studies and hearings before Obama's five-year plan can be changed. Even then if the administration tried to open any new areas of California the state has said we will not allow any onshore facilities will be -- to be built to take that oil. So for example they could say we are not allowing any new terminals or any new peers or helicopter landing pad The West Coast industry does not seem that enthusiastic with the idea of opening up new drilling. Why not? That's one of the underreported stories and all this. The last big Paul on this which was done in the summer they cannot 61% of likely California voters oppose new offshore drilling. They know that any attempts are going to be met with huge roadblocks from the state and it will be forever adjudicated. They know that there are other things that they need California for. I think I believe they just do not want to burn a lot of political capital on what they see as a loser. Also the prices have been relatively low. In the past it has been up above the hundred. There is not really a push economically to do this. I think they are keeping their powder dry and the big industry groups in California said almost nothing about this. They want to see more drilling in the Arctic of the Atlantic coast they religion the son. Remind us how much is going on across California's coast. California is one of the largest oil-producing state every year it ranges between third or fourth. We have a lot of places and offshore drilling has been a part of the state economy going back more than a half a century. It's not insignificant that folks who follow the news no we have intent to reduce air pollution. The said 50% of California's new electricity has to come from solar and wind there's electric cars and money going into the building charging stations and people get to [Indiscernible]. From the state policy standpoint this is increasingly looking like something from the past. Thank you very much. Thank you. Coming up the room -- Marine command cracks down on the latest photo sharing scandal. It is 12:26 you are listening to KPBS Midday Edition.
A California lawmaker says she is introducing legislation to thwart President Donald Trump's attempts to expand offshore drilling through an executive order he signed Friday.
Trump's order to roll back restrictions on offshore oil drilling opens the door to new drilling off the California coast, state officials say.
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson said she will introduce legislation next week to ban new oil and gas infrastructure like pipelines in state waters and on the coast. The Santa Barbara Democrat said her bill will prevent new drilling in federal waters by curtailing companies' ability to transport new oil and gas through coastal waters controlled by the state.
"For the sake of our environment, our economy and quality of life, the door that Trump wants to open to offshore oil and gas drilling must be closed," Jackson said.
RELATED: California Governor Seeks Permanent Ban On Offshore Drilling
The executive order Trump signed Friday is aimed at expanding oil drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and dismantling environmental regulations enacted by his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. New drilling off the California coast is currently prohibited by policies Obama enacted. Trump's executive order directs his new interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, to review Obama-era offshore drilling policies.
"This executive order starts the process of opening offshore areas to job-creating energy exploration," Trump said during a White House signing ceremony. "It reverses the previous administration's Arctic leasing ban and directs Secretary Zinke to allow responsible development of off-shore areas that will bring revenue to our treasury and jobs to our workers."
Jackson said she will amend a currently unrelated bill, SB188, to ban the State Lands Commission from approving new pipelines, piers and other oil infrastructure in state waters. Although California officials lack authority over federal waters in the Pacific, they do control waters within three miles of the state's coastline.
The Western States Petroleum Association did not comment on Jackson's proposal specifically, but spokeswoman Kara Siepmann said the group's member companies are watching the issue closely.
"Our member companies proudly operate in some of the toughest regulatory environments in the country," Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the organization's president, said in a statement. "We value and are committed to working with the leaders, elected and otherwise, in the communities and states in which we operate to deliver our products safely, efficiently and in ways that best protect our environment."
California Gov. Jerry Brown joined fellow Democratic governors in the other West Coast states in railing against the president's executive order Thursday night in response to news that the president would revise offshore drilling regulations.
California's Attorney General Xavier Becerra also spoke out against the executive order.
"We will vigorously oppose new drilling off the shores of our coast," Becerra, a Democrat, said in a statement Friday. "Instead of taking us backwards, the federal government should work with us to advance the clean energy economy that's creating jobs, providing energy and preserving California's natural beauty."
