Judge blocks federal plans to extend drilling off Calif. coast

A federal judge blocked plans to extend leases for oil and gas drilling off the Central California coast Friday, ruling that the Bush administration didn’t adequately consider possible damage to the ocean and marine life.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled that the U.S. Interior Department failed to analyze the environmental impact of future oil exploration and production that would be possible under the 37 offshore leases, according to Drew Caputo, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of several groups that sued to block the leases.

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