San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller testified before NOAA officials in Santa Monica, opposing a federal review that could strip California's power to block offshore oil drilling along the county's coastline. The county's announcement did not specify the exact date, saying only that Mueller spoke during "a recent" NOAA hearing on California's Coastal Management Program.
Mueller, whose District 3 includes the majority of San Mateo County's coast, told the hearing that the county has "unequivocal opposition to the issuance of any offshore oil drilling leases and permits off our coast."
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is conducting what it calls a performance evaluation of California's Coastal Management Program. The review was ordered in May 2026 by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who cited California's "environmental extremism," according to the Los Angeles Times. If the review leads to decertification, California would lose its strongest tool to reject federal projects affecting its shoreline.
No one spoke in favor of the review at NOAA's in-person hearing Aug. 10, the first of three public sessions held on the evaluation.
NOAA is accepting written public comments until 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. Residents can find submission instructions in the Federal Register notice NOAA published June 26.
Why it matters locally
San Mateo County's coastline lies within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's draft 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Program, released in November 2025, proposes 34 lease sales covering 1.3 billion acres from 2026 to 2031, including Pacific planning areas off California. No oil and gas lease sales have been held in the Pacific since the 1987–1992 program.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in January to oppose that leasing program, according to the county's announcement.
Supervisor Jackie Speier said in a statement issued Sunday, Aug. 16, that the county "firmly rejects polluting offshore drilling rigs" and called the coast "an economic engine generating billions of dollars from tourism, recreation and maritime industries."
An unusual review
The evaluation is described as unprecedented. California completed a routine review under the Biden administration in 2024 that gave top marks to the three state agencies implementing the Coastal Zone Management Act. Out of more than 3,700 federal actions reviewed by the California Coastal Commission since the 1970s, the commission has aligned with federal proposals 96% of the time, according to a San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece.
NOAA has never withdrawn approval of a state's coastal management program.
More than 17,800 people had submitted written comments as of Aug. 14, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Aug. 22 deadline is the last day for residents to weigh in.
