EDC and partners file emergency lawsuit to halt Trump administration approval of Sable pipeline restart plan

December 24, 2025

Federal approval ignores finding by state Fire Marshal that more repairs are needed before the pipeline can safely restart

SANTA BARBARA, CA—The Environmental Defense Center (EDC), the Center for Biological Diversity, and their clients today filed an emergency lawsuit to halt the Trump administration’s rushed approval for restart of a defective oil pipeline system on the Central Coast.

The lawsuit filed in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit asks for a stay to prevent the immediate restart of the pipeline, which has been shut down for 10 years since it ruptured due to severe corrosion and caused one of the worst oil spills in state history. The Texas-based Sable Offshore Corp. is attempting to restart the pipeline and other old production equipment on the Gaviota Coast, including three offshore platforms.

The approval issued this week by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) blatantly ignores federal laws requiring environmental review and public input before the agency can approve a restart or waive pipeline safety requirements. It also disregards a recent finding by the state Fire Marshal that the pipeline still needs repairs before it can safely resume operations.

“Rushing to restart this failed pipeline without following basic federal safety laws and without even making the necessary repairs poses an immediate threat to lives, property, and the environment across a large part of our state,” said EDC Chief Counsel Linda Krop. “We can’t allow the Trump administration and Sable to undermine California law and gamble with the safety of everyone living along the pipeline route.”

Advocates are accusing Sable and Trump of rushing to operate the pipeline before the end of the year to get around a new law passed in California that will require a permit from the Coastal Commission before Sable can restart its old equipment on the coast. In doing so, the federal government violated clear requirements for environmental review and public input.

EDC represents Get Oil Out!, Santa Barbara County Action Network, the Sierra Club, and Santa Babara Channelkeeper in this matter.

Please find our Emergency Motion for Stay and the Petition for Review.

Quote from the motion: “Restarting the Pipeline System would not only invite another oil disaster on the Central Coast, but all but ensure it. The Pipeline System has already ruptured once, and the underlying cause of that rupture has not been corrected.”

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