A federal court rejected a lawsuit from environmental and Indigenous groups Thursday challenging the Interior Department’s authorization to restart an offshore oil and gas drilling platform off California.
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued an order saying it lacked jurisdiction to hear claims raised by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Wishtoyo Foundation because the parties didn’t show standing to bring the case opposing the renewed operation of part of the Santa Ynez Unit.
The unit had been shut down for a decade beginning in 2015 following an oil spill. It began limited oil production in 2025 on the first of three platforms, Platform Harmony, as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to bolster domestic oil and gas. Last month, Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced a second platform had also been cleared to begin operations.
The court noted that no parties in the case had challenged the groups’ standing but that it had made the determination based on court filings. However, the order may only be a temporary setback, as the court gave the challengers permission to refile their challenge to correct the standing issues.
