The federal government wants to renew oil exploration in federal waters off the coast of California, according to reports in The Washington Post, Politico and The New York Times, reviving a controversial idea initially floated by President Donald Trump late in his first term.

Official approval to let private companies try to tap into a reserve off the coast of Santa Barbara — which federal studies have estimated to be about 5 billion barrels of oil and 7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas — could be made public by the Interior Department as soon as this week, according to reports.

But even before details of that plan are revealed, the basic idea drew harsh criticism from environmental advocates in Southern California and from state politicians.

Any effort to re-open oil drilling off the

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