The State - News from Jan. 7, 1987

Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.) introduced legislation to transfer authority for regulating air pollution from offshore oil and gas platforms to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Wilson said that the Department of Interior, which now regulates offshore air quality emissions, had an “inherent conflict of interest” since it also is charged with exploiting offshore oil and gas reserves. “I believe that the EPA would do a far better job in insuring that oil and gas development activities in federal waters, especially along California’s coastline, do not cause air quality problems inland,” Wilson said. The issue has come to a head in Santa Barbara County, where Exxon is contesting the county’s attempt to impose stricter air quality rules on the $2.5-billion expansion of its offshore Santa Ynez unit.