Wilson Takes Steps to Protect Coastal Panel

Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.), declaring his support for the California Coastal Commission, said Friday that he has taken steps to counter a federal move that could strip the commission of its authority to regulate offshore oil and gas exploration.

At a news conference, Wilson charged that the Administration is yielding to the “influence of the oil and gas industry.”

Wilson also released copies of a month-old federal draft study highly critical of the commission’s actions. He said that the report, prepared by the Commerce Department’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, was intended as a first step toward removal of the commission’s federal certification by early next spring.

The Coastal Authority Management Act gives states the right to regulate the installation of offshore oil rigs to ensure that they meet environmental standards. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can seek revocation of the state’s authority if its measures do not comply with federal guidelines.

Tougher Than U.S.

The Interior Department has charged that the California commission has exceeded its authority by imposing stringent protection measures that exceed federal requirements.

“The prospect of decertification of the Coastal Commission is unacceptable,” Wilson said. “It would leave California without any voice . . . in the management of offshore oil and gas development.”

Wilson said he has asked the General Accounting Office, an agency accountable primarily to Congress, to investigate the procedures used by National Oceanic in compiling its critical assessment of the commission. He said that the GAO’s study would take at least four months, and he called on National Oceanic to suspend any action on the case until the GAO report is completed.

In recent months, Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel has denied that the department was seeking decertification but said the state agency must comply with federal guidelines.