PIPELINE NEWS
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ojibwe contend major spill is one more reason to stop Line 5 reroute
WRAL: Chatham County commissioners pass resolution opposing planned pipeline
Farmers Forum: CHOKEHOLD: ‘Line 5’ pipeline shutdown threatens Ontario economy as Michigan governor battles Enbridge
IPE Real Assets: TC Energy sells 313km Mexican natural gas pipeline to ESENTIA for C$560m
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: GOP Money vs. $5 Gas: What Will Matter More in the Midterms?
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Diesel prices shoot upward as Sen. Chuck Grassley begs Trump for export embargo
Politico: Big Ag and Big Oil go head-to-head over diesel export ban
Politico: This climate Boomer says Big Tech is the new Big Oil
STATE UPDATES
Politico: The gas car ban has a Democrat problem
Press release: Governor Abbott Directs TCEQ To Halt Data Center Permits
EXTRACTION
Guardian: ‘Planetary boundaries’ necessary for flourishing of life have been massively breached, scientists warn
New York Times: Wall Street Is Growing Skeptical of the Data Center Boom
Zacks Equity Research: Can ExxonMobil Turn Carbon Capture Into a Major Growth Market?
Heatmap: The Next Frontier of Attribution Science Has Arrived
Edmonton Journal: First Nations Chief threatens legal action against province if tailings water is released
Japan Times: Oil exploration in Brazilian Amazon offers wealth but puts communities at risk
Calgary Herald: Canadians still own the oilpatch, but more foreign investment on the way
International Maritime Organization: The IMO-Ipieca Global Initiative celebrates 30 years of oil spill preparedness and response
OPINION
Watertown Daily Times: Voice of the People: Brooks
Santa Barbara News-Press: California celebrates fifty years of coastal protection in face of Trump challenges
PIPELINE NEWS
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ojibwe contend major spill is one more reason to stop Line 5 reroute
Frank Vaisvilas, 9/22/26
“Tribal officials in northern Wisconsin and Michigan are trying to keep pressure on the Canadian oil giant Enbridge as fallout continues from a leak late last month on its controversial Line 5 pipeline,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “Bad River Ojibwe Chairperson Liz Arbuckle told the Journal Sentinel her tribe had made an official disaster declaration for their reservation because it is so close to the site of the incident, near Saxon in Iron County… “This is what we said would happen,” Arbuckle said at an online meeting with other tribal leaders and environmental groups last week… “Arbuckle said there are still a lot of dangers. “This is our Ceded Territory,” she said. “This is where our people have always hunted, fished, gathered and lived and all of that’s at risk.” When the Ojibwe ceded millions of acres in Wisconsin and Michigan to the U.S. in the mid-1800s, treaties guaranteed the right for Ojibwe to continue to hunt and fish on those public lands. Attorneys for the tribes have argued in courts that the government has a legal mandate to fulfill those rights by ensuring the environment is protected. Arbuckle, along with several Midwest environmental advocates, called on the state to also make a disaster declaration. They also asked the state to pull its permits for the pipeline reroute because Enbridge created a temporary bypass at the spill site, despite orders from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to wait for approval.”
WRAL: Chatham County commissioners pass resolution opposing planned pipeline
Brian Shrader, 9/21/26
“Chatham County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed Enbridge pipeline, citing the impact on the environment, lower-income residents and lack of project details,” WRAL reports. “The resolution authorizes the county “to take those steps allowed by law, supported by the facts and otherwise reasonable and prudent to resist development of the Pipeline.” “...Hundreds of residents packed a board of commissioners meeting in August to voice their concerns about the project. The commissioners on Monday tabled a public hearing about proposed zoning changes, which Enbridge says would require a special use permit for each parcel the proposed pipeline would cross. They plan to take it up at the October 9 meeting.”
Farmers Forum: CHOKEHOLD: ‘Line 5’ pipeline shutdown threatens Ontario economy as Michigan governor battles Enbridge
9/21/26
“Ontario Premier Doug Ford might muse about shutting off energy to the United States, but he doesn’t hold a candle to Michigan Governor Elizabeth Whitmer’s ongoing efforts to actually shut down a crucial gas and oil pipeline feeding Ontario. And she recently scored a big win in court,” according to Farmers Forum. “Whitmer, a Democrat, has been angling to take Enbridge Inc.’s Line 5 out of service for years, and long before the current trade war with the Trump White House… “Whitmer’s administration contends that the pipeline poses an environmental risk where it crosses Lake Michigan. Installed in 1953, Line 5’s twin pipes sit exposed on the lake bottom in an area known as the Straits of Mackinac… “Ontario farm groups don’t agree. Already in 2021, a coalition led by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture urged the then-Trudeau government to invoke a 1977 treaty preventing the pipeline’s closure. They warned that Line 5 delivers vital propane and fuel supplies needed to dry crops and heat livestock barns and greenhouses across the province… “Coincidentally, Ontario got a taste of a Line 5 shutdown, from the American side, when an unoccupied flatbed semi-truck accidentally struck the pipe at a valve project excavation site in northern Wisconsin on Aug. 25.”
IPE Real Assets: TC Energy sells 313km Mexican natural gas pipeline to ESENTIA for C$560m
Razak Musah Baba, 9/22/26
“Energy infrastructure company TC Energy is selling a 313km natural gas pipeline in Mexico to ESENTIA Energy Development for C$560m (€348.4m),” IPE Real Assets reports. “The TSX and NYSE-listed firm said it has agreed to sell the entity that owns the Guadalajara-Manzanillo Pipeline as part of a capital allocation strategy to redeploy proceeds from mature assets towards “high-value growth opportunities across our North American footprint”. Following the transaction, TC Energy will continue to own and operate its broader Mexican natural gas pipeline network, which spans approximately 3,300km of pipeline with capacity to transport 8.7bn cubic feet of natural gas per day. The Guadalajara-Manzanillo Pipeline transports up to 500m cubic feet of natural gas per day, connecting imported LNG supply near Manzanillo and continental gas supply near Guadalajara to power plants and industrial customers across the states of Colima and Jalisco.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: GOP Money vs. $5 Gas: What Will Matter More in the Midterms?
Jonathan Martin, 9/22/26
“Republican polling has so deteriorated this month that the only uncertainty remaining ahead of the midterms is the depth of the party’s losses,” Politico reports. “With early or mail ballot voting beginning in nearly half the country this week, that question will mainly be determined by which money matters more: the massive cash infusion from GOP groups into every competitive race or the price of gasoline soaring toward $5 a gallon. The spending advantage could mitigate Republican losses, especially in suddenly vulnerable precincts of red-state America. Yet those advertising dollars may be effectively nullified if the price of unleaded and diesel continues rising and grips the public’s attention more than any commercial… “Yet not far behind is a recognition, even among the most loyal Republicans, that Trump is more focused on himself than voters. His unceasing fixation on naming buildings for himself and renovation projects is in plain view, and he makes no effort to conceal it’s what he cares about.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Diesel prices shoot upward as Sen. Chuck Grassley begs Trump for export embargo
Ashley Murray, 9/21/26
“Diesel prices hit a record average of $6.51 a gallon Monday, and some in President Donald Trump’s own party are breaking their support for the ongoing war in Iran that has driven fuel prices to staggering levels in the United States and across the globe,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...Longtime Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley urged Trump throughout the weekend to embargo diesel fuel exports as costs impact farmers in his largely agricultural state. “W(ith) diesel $6.57 in Iowa why doesn’t Pres Trump put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on (agricultural) products bc food prices were inflated. High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME,” Grassley wrote Saturday on X, followed by two more posts on Sunday urging the president to put “AMERICA FIRST.” “...Trump and his administration officials have downplayed the squeeze on Americans at the pump, and Trump has promised fuel prices will drop “quickly” once the conflict ends. On Monday he shifted the blame for skyrocketing diesel prices on to Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
Politico: Big Ag and Big Oil go head-to-head over diesel export ban
James Bikales and Rachel Shin, 9/21/26
“President Donald Trump is facing growing calls from his Republican allies in farm states to restrict exports of diesel as prices soar — a move staunchly opposed by the U.S. oil and gas producers who have traditionally backed him,” Politico reports. “Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Politico Trump called her Monday to discuss diesel prices, which hit a record high of $6.51 per gallon on Monday and which she called “a real concern.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and other White House officials were working on the issue through the weekend, Rollins told Politico, adding that she expects an announcement “very soon on some potential actions.” “...The growing push for an export ban comes as farmers are facing diesel prices that have been steadily rising as a result of the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Europe — driving up the price of harvesting crops and threatening to spill over into the cost of food and other goods across the U.S. economy… “Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) posted over the weekend that high diesel prices are “KILLING FARMERS INCOME” and urged Trump to “put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag products bc food prices were inflated.”
Politico: This climate Boomer says Big Tech is the new Big Oil
Benjamin Storrow, 9/21/26
“Welcome to Climate Week, where Democrats’ focus is … not on climate. Just ask U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, a mastermind behind the Green New Deal and a co-author of the most stringent climate bill to ever pass the House,” Politico reports. “Now the man whose political brand was forged in fiery attacks on Republicans for being climate deniers is shifting tactics by blaming President Donald Trump and the GOP for raising energy bills. “The Big Tech and the fossil fuel agenda are one and the same,” Markey (D-Mass.) told Politico. “They’re married the same way auto and oil used to be married. And you’re not going to hear a single word from the AI industry except some vague promise that they’ll solve the energy crisis 10 years from now.” Waging electoral war on today’s “energy crisis” instead of Markey’s usual “climate crisis” is how Democrats are tying higher prices to Trump, who has embraced artificial intelligence as the potential savior of a sluggish economy. Markey’s comments fit into a wider trend — in the U.S. and abroad. In Europe, officials have stepped back from their climate goals to emphasize so-called energy security.”
STATE UPDATES
Politico: The gas car ban has a Democrat problem
Alex Nieves, Noah Baustin, Camille Von Kaenel, 9/21/26
“More people are buying electric vehicles these days as oil disruptions linked to the war in Iran have sent gasoline prices skyrocketing. But that doesn’t mean California voters are ready for state leaders to ban the sale of gas and hybrid cars,” Politico reports. “Less than half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning registered voters support California’s plan to phase out the sale of gas cars by 2035, according to a new poll by Politico and its partners. That’s bad news for Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose 2020 executive order creating the strategy has never been hugely popular among California voters, though he could traditionally count on liberal support. Meanwhile, opposition from Republican, Republican-leaning and independent voters has reached new highs. Only 18% of independents said they support a gas car ban, while a whopping 90% of registered Republicans said they’re against the policy. Compare the latest numbers to Citrin’s August 2025 poll, which found that 60 percent of Democrats backed the phaseout plan, compared to 40 percent of independents and 31 percent of Republicans… “The 11-point drop among left-leaning voters could serve as a cautionary tale for Democrat Xavier Becerra, the overwhelming favorite to defeat Republican Steve Hilton in November and claim the governorship.”
Press release: Governor Abbott Directs TCEQ To Halt Data Center Permits
9/21/26
“Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to halt all permits sought by data centers until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) completes its audit. Because the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), ERCOT, and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) require that information to make informed decisions, no state agency shall move forward with regulatory approvals related to data center development until it is acquired. “Simply put, Texans must come first,” said Governor Abbott. “Data centers must pay their own way, protect our grid and water, and complete the ERCOT and TWDB audits. Until they do, TCEQ will issue no permits sought by data center projects.” Governor Abbott directed the PUCT and ERCOT to audit all data centers undergoing ERCOT’s interconnection process so their development does not compromise the reliability of the Texas electric grid and does not put Texans’ natural resources at risk. On September 14, he directed TWDB to compel data centers to comply with water-use reporting requirements, impose legal consequences for past and future failure to comply with state law, and partner with ERCOT on the audit to obtain additional water-use information… “Data center projects must cover all electrical infrastructure costs, result in lower residential electrical bills, and complete the ERCOT audit. Data centers must not use water needed by local communities, must report electricity and water usage, and must abide by setback requirements that will protect the communities in which they operate… “Next session, Governor Abbott will work with the Legislature to eliminate any financial incentives for data centers.”
EXTRACTION
Guardian: ‘Planetary boundaries’ necessary for flourishing of life have been massively breached, scientists warn
Oliver Milman, 9/21/26
“The planetary life support systems relied upon by humans have deteriorated to their worst levels ever recorded amid ongoing pollution and habitat destruction, according to a key yet grim annual update by scientists,” the Guardian reports. “Of the nine “planetary boundaries” that help determine whether life can flourish on Earth, seven are being breached at their highest ever levels of transgression, according to the latest planetary health check, a process that was established in 2009. The seven key indicators in the danger zone include climate change, change in biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, modification of biogeochemical flows, introduction of novel entities and, for the first time last year, ocean acidification. Only two of the assessed areas, stratospheric ozone depletion and atmospheric aerosol loading, have shown improvement over the last decade, although researchers warn that atmospheric aerosols, which can form air pollution, are still a problem in several regions of the world… “The diagnosis is unambiguous – pressure is rising across every planetary boundary already outside the safe operating space,” Boris Sakschewski, lead author of the report, told the Guardian. “It means that the risk of large-scale, persistent and potentially irreversible change is increasing, while our margin for error in tackling these problems is shrinking.” “...These are not separate emergencies; the planet is telling us, in every region at once, that it is out of balance,” Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, chair of Planetary Guardians, a coalition of scientists, business leaders and activists, told the Guardian.”
New York Times: Wall Street Is Growing Skeptical of the Data Center Boom
Maureen Farrell, 9/21/26
“The backlash against data centers that is shaping elections and kitchen table debates across the country is now spilling onto Wall Street,” the New York Times reports. “Companies that house the data centers or supply them with energy and land for construction were expected to dominate the initial public offering market over the coming months, feeding investors’ seemingly insatiable appetite for everything related to artificial intelligence. But some investors are voicing increasing skepticism about the growth expectations for data centers and the risks associated with their build-out, forcing industry executives and their advisers to recalibrate their plans to raise tens of billions of dollars in public markets. SB Energy, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank that has proposed to build the largest data center project in the world in Ohio, had originally planned its I.P.O. for this month. But the offering has been delayed, as investors question the company’s sought-after valuation of $50 billion or more, according to interviews with four people familiar with the deal’s marketing efforts. So far, bankers have struggled to find enough buyers of SB Energy stock within price ranges the company and its bankers had sought.”
Zacks Equity Research: Can ExxonMobil Turn Carbon Capture Into a Major Growth Market?
9/21/26
“...ExxonMobil Holdings Corporation XOM expects energy-related CO2 emissions to decline to roughly 30 billion metric tons by 2050 from 36 billion metric tons in 2025, supported by efficiency gains and lower-emission solutions such as carbon capture and storage (CCS),” Zacks Equity Research reports. “...The technology is expected to scale significantly, with global CCS projected to increase from about 30 million metric tons of CO2 in 2025 to 2,000 million metric tons by 2050. However, meeting global climate goals would require roughly 7,000 million metric tons. Against this backdrop, ExxonMobil is building an end-to-end CCS business spanning CO2 capture, transportation and storage. The U.S. Gulf Coast is a key focus for XOM because it accounts for about one-third of U.S. industrial CO2 emissions and already hosts much of ExxonMobil’s CCS pipeline network. The company estimates that this network can eventually handle up to 100 million metric tons of captured CO2 annually once fully developed… “XOM is further expanding its CCS customer base through work with Linde, Nucor, Lake Charles Methanol II and AtmosClear.”
Heatmap: The Next Frontier of Attribution Science Has Arrived
Jeva Lange, 9/22/26
“Europe’s record-breaking heat wave in 2025 would have been a third of a degree Celsius cooler if not for emissions released just since the Paris Climate Agreement was signed in 2015, researchers found in a new study published Tuesday by the American Geophysical Union’s Geophysical Research Letters,” Heatmap reports. “The research marks a step forward for attribution science, which has traditionally worked to tie extreme events such as heat waves and floods to climate change writ large. Now, using artificial intelligence trained on climate models, researchers have managed to link extreme weather to a specific subset of emissions… “Not only does every little bit of emissions count, but the amount of emissions released since 2015 significantly increased the temperature of [the 2025 European] heat wave,” Jared Trok, the study’s lead author and a PhD student at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, told Heatmap… “For every additional increment of temperature, the impacts on heat-related mortality are even larger than the previous increment.” Though Trok and his colleagues did not look at mortality specifically, the reasoning indicates dozens if not hundreds of people could have died due to that fraction of a degree. Paired with a separate commentary also published today by the U.S. Climate Collection, a joint project of AGU and the American Meteorological Society, the research adds an urgent underline to the need for research like Trok’s to be incorporated into state and local policymaking.”
Edmonton Journal: First Nations Chief threatens legal action against province if tailings water is released
Itoro Umanah, 9/21/26
“The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN)’s Chief, Allan Adam, says he is ready to enter a 20-year legal battle with the Alberta government if it means mining wastewater from the oilsands is not released into the Athabasca watershed,” the Edmonton Journal reports. “The promise comes shortly after what was supposed to be a two-day engagement session led by Suncor’s representatives quickly became a rallying ground for collective frustration from the Athabasca First Nation’s communities. Community members and residents of Fort Chipewyan – some with placards – staged a protest at a mobile information display that Suncor Energy set up at the Mamawi community hall. The trailer, packed with simulators and material for residents to engage with, was stationed in the hopes of sharing details about the company’s proposed treat and release plans for the next four years… “In an interview with Postmedia last week, Chief Adam stated explicitly that downstream First Nations communities, who he said will be the first ones to experience any adverse effects, are completely opposed to oilsands companies treating and releasing mine water back into the river… “If the province grants permits to treat and release, we’ll be tied up in court for the next 20 years if need be.” “...The Oilsands Alliance, which is made up of five of Canada’s largest oil production companies, said alternatives to releasing mine wastewater “are not sufficient to manage the volume of water needed to achieve reclamation” and that “treated mine water release is required in order to return the land to a self-sustaining boreal forest, as expected by industry and Canadians.”
Japan Times: Oil exploration in Brazilian Amazon offers wealth but puts communities at risk
Louis Genot, 9/21/26
Indigenous Chief Wagner Karipuna gazes worriedly at the tranquil river flowing past his village in the Brazilian Amazon as he imagines the nightmare scenario of an oil spill being carried here by the tides. His village, Manga, is located around 20 kilometers from the center of Oiapoque, a town bordering French Guiana that has been buzzing since Brazilian oil giant Petrobras began offshore exploration in the region a year ago,” the Japan Times reports. “The state-run company announced in August that it had identified signs of oil in a well about 175 kilometers off the coast of northern Brazil’s Amapa state. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection on Oct. 4, promptly visited the area, calling the oil a “passport to the future.” “...While many residents are excited about a potential oil bonanza in their poverty-stricken town, Karipuna is far from convinced. “In the event of a spill, we will inevitably be affected. Water has no borders,” said the 57-year-old chief. He fears an “immense disaster” if an oil leak off the coast is carried into the Curipi River, which runs alongside his village of 1,800 inhabitants. Petrobras has said its analyses do “not indicate the probability” of oil “reaching the coast in the event of a spill.” “There is no such thing as zero risk in offshore exploration,” said Jean Paul Prates, who headed Petrobras in 2023-24 and now chairs the energy and natural resources think tank Cerne. “It is a low-probability risk, but with potentially high consequences.”
Calgary Herald: Canadians still own the oilpatch, but more foreign investment on the way
Steven Wilhelm, 9/22/26
“Canadian investors own controlling stakes in the country’s oil and gas industry, but analysts say international shareholders could gain a larger foothold as the oilpatch enters a potential wave of growth,” the Calgary Herald reports. “The Canadian oil and gas sector is too big for just Canadian money,” Heather Exner-Pirot, director of natural resources, energy and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, told the Herald. Exner-Pirot argues the industry needs international investment — to help it grow and sustain itself — and that some foreign ownership is a net positive for Canada… “Still, the largest investors in several of those producers are from outside the country… “The analysis found foreign firms make up the majority of the top 10 investors in Suncor Energy Inc., Imperial Oil Ltd., Cenovus Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. Imperial had by far the most foreign ownership. Among the producers’ top 10 investors, the largest Canadian shareholders hold just three per cent of its shares, with Texas-based giant ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. controlling nearly 70 per cent. In the top 10 alone, foreign investors own over 49 per cent of Cenovus, nearly 39 per cent of Canadian Natural and over 19 per cent of Suncor, the analysis shows… “As Carney pushes for more foreign investment in Canada, some of that capital may flow into the country’s oilsands.”
International Maritime Organization: The IMO-Ipieca Global Initiative celebrates 30 years of oil spill preparedness and response
9/21/26
“This year marks 30 years since the Global Initiative (GI) was established to support the implementation of IMO’s International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation. Throughout that time, the GI has helped to prevent and minimise the impact of spills on the marine environment, protect local communities and ensure the safety of maritime workers,” according to the International Maritime Organization. “The GI brings together governments, through the IMO, and the oil and gas industry, through Ipieca, to work together in developing national structures and capability for oil spill preparedness and response… “For 30 years, through the GI, the IMO has stood alongside Ipieca, a partnership built on a simple idea that preventing and responding to oil spills is stronger when governments and industry work together”, said Patricia Charlebois, Deputy Director, Marine Environment Division, IMO… “Key to the success of the GI is the understanding that spills cross borders and a major response is too big and complex for any one party to handle on its own. Through the GI’s convening power and programme of activities marine spill decision makers know each other, understand where responsibilities lie and are ready to work together. The GI has endured for three decades because spill prevention, preparedness and response are stronger when government and industry work together.”
OPINION
Watertown Daily Times: Voice of the People: Brooks
Jean Brooks, Fort Atkinson, 9/21/26
“There have been some significant developments recently in the ongoing Enbridge Oil Company vs northern Wisconsin debacle. In just two years, Enbridge has been responsible for Wisconsin’s largest crude oil spill, numerous smaller spills and recently the state’s largest natural gas liquid spill,” Jean Brooks writes for the Watertown Daily Times. “If you saw the video, you know it looked apocalyptic with plumes of chemical-ridden smoke as residents were evacuated. The DNR expressed “deep concern” and instructed them to shut down until repairs were done and the site had been reviewed. However, after a two-day pause for a “safety inspection,” Enbridge commenced pipeline construction even before the DNR was allowed onto the site. Why was Enbridge working on a site that the DNR was not allowed to inspect? On the day that Enbridge restarted construction, they caused yet another frac-out (accidental release of pressurized drilling fluid). Apparently Enbridge sees itself as above the law. If they couldn’t follow instructions for one day when they knew eyes were on them, how can we expect them to act responsibly at other times?.. “If Enbridge won’t take Wisconsin’s regulations seriously, our state leaders need to enforce them. A state government should not have to beg an oil company to follow the rules.”
Santa Barbara News-Press: California celebrates fifty years of coastal protection in face of Trump challenges
Janet Bridgers is co-founder and president of Earth Alert, 9/20/26
“...This September, California marks the 50th anniversary of the Coastal Act, the strongest land-use legislation in the country. While the act has not totally prohibited development in the narrow Coastal Zone, it has none-the-less protected the 1,100-mile California coast from over-development, ensuring access, views, near-shore water quality and habitats,” Janet Bridgers writes for the Santa Barbara News-Press. “Through enforcement by the California Coastal Commission, the highly popular act has been an effective deterrent to would-be developers of private coastal enclaves, high rise hotels and utilities proposing major industrial use on the coast. And consequently, despite its popularity, the commission has had to battle numerous attempts to cut it off at the knees… “The feds are probing whether California has complied with the CZMA, through the enforcement activities of the Coastal Commission, alleging the commission has interfered with economic development… “In testing the strength of the CZMA, does Washington figure that no one remembers the 1969 Santa Barbara oil blowout?... “And so, it’s time again for Californians to assert their rights to the coast. The California coast, up to the “mean high tide line” belongs to the people of California, despite the ownership of the beach property above that line. It is guaranteed by the California Constitution.”