The Trump administration announced new oil drilling off the California and Florida coasts for the first time in decades on Thursday, as President Trump seeks to expand U.S. oil production, advancing a project that critics say could harm coastal communities and ecosystems.

The oil industry has been seeking access to new offshore areas, including off Southern California and Florida, as a way to boost U.S. energy security and jobs. The federal government has not allowed drilling in federal waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which includes offshore Florida and part of offshore Alabama, since 1995, because of concerns about oil spills. California has some offshore oil rigs, but there has been no new leasing in federal waters since the mid-1980s.

Even before it was released, the offshore dr

See Full Page