The federal government will not issue any new permits for offshore fracking in California after a settlement was reached on Friday in a case brought by the Center for Biological Diversity. The lawsuit alleged that federal regulators “rubber-stamped permits” without enough consideration for fracking’s impacts on coastal communities and wildlife, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The settlement directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to conduct an environmental assessment of offshore fracking by May 28. There will be a 30-day public comment period on the draft assessment.