On Friday, March 13th, President Trump signed an executive order expanding the use of the Defense Production Act (DPA), a rarely used Cold-War Era law, in an attempt to allow the Energy Department to green-light projects under the guise of national security.
This action follows a recent Justice Department legal opinion asserting that the administration can use the DPA to override state and federal laws. This order attempts to delegate authority to the Secretary of Energy to require certain businesses and corporations to take actions deemed necessary to “ensure national defense preparedness,” even if doing so sidesteps state laws and critical safety protections.
The Trump administration is using a Cold War-era law to override state decisions, ignore safety protections, and force a failed offshore oil project back online.
That means:
❌ Flagrantly violating state laws
❌ Spurning court rulings
❌ Risking coastal communities & economies for decades
This federal overreach isn’t just an attack on California’s coast — it sets a dangerous precedent for the entire country.
Call members of Congress today to oppose the use of the Defense Production Act at (202)224-3121!
You don’t need to say everything here, just pick 1-2 points that resonate best with you:
- Putting California’s Coast at Risk: Sable is using the very same pipeline that ruptured in 2015, spilling nearly half a million gallons of oil across 150 miles of California’s coastline – one of the worst environmental disasters in the state in decades. The company still hasn’t done what’s needed to safely restart the pipeline, which is why state safety inspectors have kept it shut down. But now, the Trump administration is letting Sable sidestep those safety protections, putting Californians at risk and threatening the state’s $51 billion dollar coastal economy.
- Abuse of Power: This is a dangerous overreach; President Trump is using a rarely used national security law to override state laws, environmental protections, and even court rulings. It’s even more unconscionable that he’s doing it just to help a private oil company with repeated safety violations and criminal accusations push its risky project forward.
- State & Local Rights: Both the State of California and local officials have denied permits and raised serious legal and safety concerns about Sable’s project. This move overrides those decisions, effectively stripping communities of the ability to protect their own coastlines, homes, and local businesses.
- Not a Solution for Gas Prices: President Trump’s war on Iran has spiked global oil prices, but restarting this aging, dangerous pipeline won’t do anything to meaningfully lower gas prices – the amount of oil it produces is a tiny drop in the bucket. This isn’t about lowering costs for Americans; it’s about doing favors for President Trump’s Big Oil allies.
- Dangerous Precedent: If we let this decision stand, it creates a playbook for any administration to fast-track projects for private companies they like, no matter how dangerous their track record, how egregious their legal violations, or how strong the opposition from states, courts, and local communities. What’s happening in California today could happen anywhere tomorrow.
