US offshore drilling plan draws California protest

Interior Secretary James Watt's plan to permit oil and gas drilling on 1.3 million acres off the scenic California coast is drawing protests from environmentalists and vows of opposition from state officials.

Several California congressmen and environmentalists vowed to go to court to block Mr. Watt's proposal, announced this week, to sell leases for offshore drilling on disputed areas along the coast near Big Sur, Mendicino, and Point Reyes. California Gov. Edmund Brown Jr. urged Mr. Watt to withdraw his plan.