Coastal Commission Rejects Offshore Fracking at Platform Gilda

On August 13, 2026, the California Coastal Commission unanimously objected to a proposal by oil company DCOR, LLC to hydraulically fracture ("frack") 16 offshore wells at Platform Gilda, a 45-year-old oil platform off the Ventura County coast. The Commission cited risks from oil spills and aging infrastructure in rejecting the proposal.

The decision protects the ecologically rich Santa Barbara channel from the heightened risks associated with offshore fracking, including toxic chemical pollution, oil spills, and impacts to marine wildlife and coastal communities. Platform Gilda operates near important habitat for endangered whales, sea turtles, seabirds, sea otters, and fish. Fracking would also prolong oil production from aging offshore infrastructure that has already operated for decades. 

This decision demonstrates the importance of California's authority under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), which empowers the Coastal Commission to review federal activities affecting our coast and object when they are inconsistent with state coastal protection policies. The vote came during an unprecedented review of California's Coastal Management Program by the federal government that threatens to weaken this important authority.

Along with coalition partners, including the Center for Biological Diversity, the Environmental Defense Center, Save Our Shores, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation, and Oceana, Surfrider organized communities and voices across California to reject the proposal. Surfrider submitted comments opposing offshore fracking, offered public comment at the Commission hearing, helped elevate public awareness of the proposal, and worked with coalition partners to organize a pre-meeting rally attended by dozens of supporters intent on defending California's federal consistency authority.

“California’s coast is protected because strong institutions like the Coastal Commission give us a meaningful voice over development affecting our shoreline and ocean,” said Matt Koller, California offshore drilling campaign manager at the Surfrider Foundation. “California should not be forced to accept offshore fracking that threatens our wildlife, communities, and coastal economy, and the Commission's rejection of this proposal highlights its importance: ensuring that Californians have a say in how our coast is developed.”

Surfrider applauds the Coastal Commission for standing up for California's coast and rejecting this proposal to frack off our coast.