Last week was awesome with strong opposition to the restart of the oil pipeline and offshore oil rigs that were taken offline after the 2015 Plains All American oil spill! Well over 100 people came out to let their voice be heard to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors who were considering a transfer of operating permits from ExxonMobil, who currently holds the permits, to Sable, a Texas oil company based in Houston. The Planning Commission approved the transfer in 2024, then Environmental Defense Council and Center for Biological Diversity filed an appeal to the the Board of Supervisors.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors hearing ended in a 2-2 tie vote after one Supervisor recused themself from the hearing because they live near the pipeline. Both sides claimed victory, but Santa Barbara County staff said before the hearing a 2-2 tie would result in no action on the permit transfer. It's a week later and we are still waiting on the final word from the County on what the 2-2 decision means. Big thanks to EDC, CBD, and the big coalition of groups working on this important issue along with everyone who attended the hearing!
The Fight’s Not Over. Please plan to attend the March 13th State Public Meeting hosted by Assemblymember Gregg Hart and Senator Monique Limón in partnership with the California Natural Resources Agency. We will hear from eight state agencies who have regulatory oversight over the pipeline, including the California Coastal Commission, State Parks, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Questions are welcome for these agencies with advance submission (before Sunday, March 9) linked to your signing up to attend the meeting.
RSVP here or visit Bit.lyOilPipelineTownHall to submit your questions. Capacity is limited and they will let in the people who RSVP first!
State Public Meeting Date: Thursday March 13, 2025
Time: 3:00 pm pre-meeting press conference; 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm meeting
Location: Direct Relief International's Hatch Hall, 6100 Wallace Becknell Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93117.
Click here for more info from a previous blog.