Court rules that Sable Offshore Corp. did extensive work on corroded pipeline without required permits
October 15, 2025
Santa Barbara, CA – A Texas oil company attempting to restart a defunct oil and gas operation near Santa Barbara lost again in court today after a Superior Court judge ruled that the company did large-scale digging and other work on the coast to repair a defective pipeline without the required permits.
Earlier this year, the California Coastal Commission sued Sable Offshore Corp. for openly ignoring multiple cease-and-desist orders and making extensive, unpermitted repairs to the pipeline—the same one that ruptured in 2015, causing the massive Plains oil spill at Refugio State Beach. The Coastal Commission said much of Sable’s unpermitted work destroyed or disrupted sensitive habitats and species in the area.
“Today’s ruling again shows that Sable is unwilling or unable to follow the most basic laws for protecting public safety and the environment on our coast,” said Linda Krop, Chief Counsel for the Environmental Defense Center (EDC). “We hope that any state agencies still considering approvals for this dangerous project will consider Sable’s track record and the fact that it is barred from making further repairs to the pipeline without the required permits.”
Judge Thomas Anderle sided with the Coastal Commission and adopted his tentative ruling issued Tuesday. The ruling says that coastal development permits were required for Sable’s work both onshore and offshore and that Santa Barbara County was incorrect that permits issued in 1986 covered the work. The ruling means that Sable cannot conduct any more repairs without permits and must apply for permits for the work already done. It also means Sable will have to pay a record $18 million fine issued by the Coastal Commission in April.
The decision comes one week after the state Attorney General filed a separate lawsuit against Sable, alleging that the company repeatedly broke the law by discharging waste into streams, wetlands, and habitats along the pipeline route. And in September, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney filed 21 criminal charges against Sable, including five felony counts of knowingly discharging a pollutant into a waterway.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal and the State Parks Department are considering Sable’s request for final approvals to restart the pipeline and operate it through Gaviota State Park.
Background
EDC has been leading efforts to oppose Sable’s restart of oil and gas facilities formerly owned by ExxonMobil, including three 1980s-era offshore platforms, onshore processing stations, and the pipeline responsible for one of the worst oil spill disasters in California history. EDC works with a statewide coalition of nonprofits, businesses, Tribal leaders, students, and others opposed to the project, and represents Get Oil Out! (GOO!), the Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN), the Sierra Club, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, and EDC in this case. For more information, go to Sable’s Dangerous Oil Project.
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The Environmental Defense Center defends nature and advances environmental justice on California’s Central Coast through advocacy and legal action. Since 1977, EDC has represented more than 140 nonprofit, community-based organizations to protect the Central Coast and the Earth’s climate. EDC is funded through private donations, receiving no government assistance. More at: www.EnvironmentalDefenseCenter.org.
