The past month was busy with lots of news about the ongoing attempt to restart oil production from the Santa Ynez Unit, a trio of aging oil platforms off the Gaviota Coast, and to resume use of the same pipeline responsible for the 2015 Plains All-American Oil Spill at Refugio State Beach.
The latest development includes a proposal to pursue an “alternative offtake strategy” involving offshore storage & treatment vessels in federal waters off Santa Barbara. This would be an at-sea processing plant capable of sending oil on barges outside of California. While this might be simply a scare tactic to help get the onshore pipeline restart approved, it must be taken seriously. Surfrider and the Don't Enable Sable coalition of groups are researching this option.
How can you help? Right now, we are focused on keeping the pressure on Governor Newsom and CA State Parks to require a full environmental review for a new easement for the oil pipeline through Gaviota State Park that Sable needs before restarting the pipeline. Call their offices directly using this call script to deliver a clear message: No Pipeline through Gaviota without environmental review.
Mark you calendar on November 4th for the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting. This meeting that starts at 9AM will include another public comment session on the transfer of operating permits from ExxonMobil to Sable, giving us a renewed opportunity to weigh in on this dangerous project. A large community turnout will be critical for this hearing. Stay tuned for more info.
Here are some of the other recent developments:
On September 12, a federal judge issued a significant ruling rejecting Sable’s demand for an automatic transfer of key operating permits. These permits, which Sable sought to have transferred from ExxonMobil, were not exchanged due to a deadlocked 2-2 vote by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in February. The judge ordered the Board to hold another public hearing and vote on the transfer within 60 days. If the upcoming hearing results in another tie vote, the Board must hold yet another hearing within 45 days.
On September 16, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office announced that it filed 21 criminal charges against Sable, including five felony counts. The complaint alleges that Sable violated environmental laws by conducting unauthorized repair work along the pipeline route, including extensive excavations that knowingly discharged pollutants into state waterways.
On September 25 at the California State Parks Commission meeting in West Sacramento, the Don't Enable Sable coalition urged the state to reject Sable’s attempt to secure a new easement through Gaviota State Park without undergoing a full environmental review. While the Commission itself does not have authority over the discretionary review process, the public testimony was a vital opportunity to raise the profile of this issue at the state level. California State Parks is still considering how to proceed with Sable’s application, making public input especially critical at this stage.
On October 3, CA Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit Friday in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, asking a judge for injunctive relief as well as civil penalties up to $5,000 for each day the violation occurred. California state prosecutors are taking Sable Offshore to court, accusing the oil company of repeatedly discharging dirt and other material into coastal streams and wetlands without a permit as it rushed to bring a pipeline and an offshore drilling platform back online. Click here for more info.
BIG THANKS to the Don't Enable Sable coalition of groups and organizations working together on this issue including Surfrider, Environmental Defense Center, Center for Biological Diversity, Channelkeeper, Sierra Club, Fearless Grandmothers, and many more.