Trump Could Restart California Oil Pipeline With Cold War-Era Law, Opinion Says

The Justice Department said the president has the legal authority to overrule state regulators and reopen an offshore oil pipeline that was shut down after causing a gigantic oil spill.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Justice Department has issued a legal opinion stating that President Trump has the authority to restart an offshore oil pipeline project in California by invoking the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law typically used in national emergencies. This would allow Trump to overrule objections from California officials, who say the pipeline has not been sufficiently repaired since a major oil spill in 2015.

Why it matters

The potential restart of the pipeline has raised concerns about the federal government overriding state environmental protections, as well as the broader debate around the balance of power between the federal government and states on issues like energy and environmental policy.

The details

Sable Offshore, a Texas-based company, has been trying to reopen the offshore pipeline that connects to one of the largest known offshore oil fields in the U.S. However, the project has been stalled for over a year as the company has been unable to secure the required permits from California state and local officials, who have also sued the company for violating environmental laws. State regulators say the pipeline still has unresolved corrosion issues from the 2015 oil spill, which released over 100,000 gallons of oil onto the California coast.

  • In December 2025, the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration reclassified the pipelines as exclusively under federal oversight and issued the company a waiver to restart operations.
  • Last week, the Justice Department released its legal opinion finding that President Trump could issue an order under the Defense Production Act to 'pre-empt the California laws currently impeding Sable from resuming production and operating the associated pipeline infrastructure.'

The players

Sable Offshore

A Texas-based company that has been trying to reopen the offshore oil pipeline in California.

Rob Bonta

The California Attorney General who sued the Trump administration over its attempt to assert federal jurisdiction over the pipeline.

Julie Teel Simmonds

An attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the environmental groups that sued the Trump administration over the federal reclassification of the pipeline.

Linda Krop

The chief legal counsel for the Environmental Defense Center, an environmental advocacy group in Santa Barbara that is exploring how to challenge a potential federal order to restart the pipeline.

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What they’re saying

“Even in these unprecedented times, this abuse of executive power would be staggering. The federal administration is threatening to prop up a company that has flouted the law.”

— Linda Krop, Chief Legal Counsel, Environmental Defense Center (nytimes.com)

“The federal government was clearly trying to get around California's environmental protections.”

— Julie Teel Simmonds, Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity (nytimes.com)

What’s next

The California Attorney General and environmental groups are expected to challenge any federal order by President Trump to restart the pipeline, citing concerns over environmental protections.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between the federal government and California over energy and environmental policy, with the potential for the president to invoke emergency powers to override state regulators and restart a controversial oil pipeline project.