Strike Three – Terracore Is Out!
November 03, 2020The withdrawal of the Terracore oil and gas project (formerly known as ERG and now Cat Canyon Resources) is the final nail in the coffin for what could have been a massive expansion of risky oil and gas operations in Santa Barbara County. For years now, oil operators in the Cat Canyon Oil Field have been actively pursuing three steam injection projects to drill around 760 new wells in the Field, add over 400 tanker truck trips to local roadways and highways, and contribute nearly 700,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year—wreaking havoc on our communities’ air and climate. Earlier this year, Aera Energy, LLC and PetroRock withdrew their applications for more oil drilling in Cat Canyon.
Read MoreExxonMobil Oil Trucking Plan Jeopardized by Refinery Shutdown, County Staff Opposition to Using Dangerous Route 166
August 13, 2020ExxonMobil’s plans to restart its offshore drilling platforms in Santa Barbara County and truck that oil through California have been undermined by two unrelated announcements. Opponents responded today by calling on the company to abandon the project and decommission its offshore operations. Santa Barbara County planning staff yesterday released a report opposing the use of State Route 166 to truck oil to Kern County, saying that use of this route would increase the likelihood of accidents and oil spills. Then Phillips 66 announced late yesterday that it will close its Santa Maria Refinery and related pipelines by 2023, shutting down the other option for ExxonMobil to get its offshore oil to a refinery.
Read MoreSanta Barbara County to Vote on ExxonMobil Plan to Restart Offshore Platforms, Truck Oil in California
July 30, 2020Santa Barbara County has released the final environmental impact report on ExxonMobil’s proposal to transport oil by tanker trucks so it can restart three drilling platforms off California, setting up a vote on the project. The plan calls for up to 70 oil-filled trucks per day on coastal Highway 101 and Route 166, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission is scheduled to hold hearings on the project on Sept. 2 and Sept. 9 before voting on it.
Read MoreAnother Oil Project Down: Community Health and the Environment Safeguarded
May 27, 2020Today marks the end of another dirty oil project proposed by Aera Energy, LLC (“Aera”) in the Cat Canyon Oil Field. Hundreds of oil tanker trucks will not flood our local roadways; thousands of native oak trees and threatened wildlife will survive; and our water will not be jeopardized by risky steam injection operations. After three years of fighting to halt Aera’s efforts to massively expand oil production in Santa Barbara County, our community now celebrates the extraordinary news that our clean air and water will not be put at risk for dirty oil.
Read MoreState Water Board Has a Choice: Clean Water or Dirty Oil in Santa Barbara County?
May 21, 2020Pressure is mounting on the five members of the State Water Board (“Board”) to make the right choice between clean water or dirty oil in Santa Barbara County. Safeguarding the quality of Californians’ drinking water is the mission that guides this agency. Yet, the Board now faces a decision on a proposal that could allow oil and gas operators to inject steam and millions of gallons of toxic wastewater into aquifers beneath the Cat Canyon Oil Field in Santa Barbara County. Injections of oil field fluids threaten to contaminate groundwater used by County residents for drinking and agriculture. Today, the Environmental Defense Center (“EDC”) submitted a letter on behalf of forty-six organizations asking the Board to direct its staff to reject the proposal and protect our state’s precious water supplies.
Read MorePetroRock Withdraws Application to Significantly Expand Dirty Oil Production in Santa Barbara County
April 01, 2020On March, 27, 2020, PetroRock LLC officially withdrew its application to drill and operate hundreds of new wells in the north central portion of the Cat Canyon Oil Field, located just 10 miles from Santa Maria. PetroRock’s proposal threatened our local environment and community health, planning to drill 231 new wells, develop twenty-nine well pads, construct five dirty steam generators, use risky steam injection techniques to extract the heavy crude oil in the Field, and add dangerous oil tanker trucks to local roads.
Read MoreEDC Responds to Plains All American Settlement
March 19, 2020Today, state and federal agencies published a proposed settlement agreement with Plains All American Pipeline (“Plains”) in response to the May 19, 2015 Refugio Oil Spill. This spill resulted in hundreds of thousands of gallons of heavy crude along 150 miles of the California Coast, from Gaviota to the Channel Islands, and as far south as Orange County. The spill closed public beaches and parks, 138 square miles of fisheries, and killed hundreds of marine mammals and seabirds. The public has until April 18 to comment on the settlement. The agreement would set the amount of penalties and damages that Plains would pay to state and federal agencies to compensate for the harm from the massive oil spill and to pay for restoration projects. In addition, the agreement would allow Plains to restart the damaged pipeline. The Environmental Defense Center has several significant concerns with the proposed settlement.
Read MoreEDC Settles Clean Water Act Case Against PCEC’s Orcutt Hill Oil Operation
March 09, 2020EDC reached a final settlement with Pacific Coast Energy Company LP (“PCEC”), for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”). PCEC conducts oil exploration and development activities using enhanced oil extraction techniques such as cyclic steam injection at its 5,400 acre Orcutt Hill oil field operation. Polluted runoff from this facility, which is located in northern Santa Barbara County, flows into Orcutt Creek and San Antonio Creek, which drain into the Santa Maria River and the Pacific Ocean, respectively. These waters provide important habitat for threatened and endangered species, such as the Unarmored Threespined Stickleback, the Tidewater Goby, the Red Legged frog and steelhead, and are used for public recreation and enjoyment. The settlement will reduce polluted runoff from the Orcutt Hill facility and establish a $115,000 fund for projects that enhance the quality of local watersheds.
Read MoreEnvironmental Defense Center Brings on New Staff
February 25, 2020The Environmental Defense Center (EDC) is proud to announce three new staff members have been brought on to replace departing employees. They include Staff Attorney, Elizabeth Fisher, Office Manager & Event Coordinator, Daniel Elkin, and Development Coordinator, Jessica Dias. At the same time the organization has created a new leadership position, and promoted Betsy Weber, its longtime Communications Director to take on the position of Assistant Director. These staff transitions come at a critical time for the nonprofit public interest law firm, with growing public awareness of the urgency of global warming, and facing a hostile federal administration, an empowered oil industry, and a significant load of climate-related cases.
Read MoreFund for Santa Barbara Supports EDC to Prevent Tripling of Onshore Oil Production in Santa Barbara County
January 28, 2020Santa Barbara County faces a tripling of onshore oil production. Three oil companies are proposing to drill and operate over 700 new wells in Cat Canyon Oil Field, posing dangerous threats to clean air, clean water, public safety, and our climate. What’s more, these oil companies are not proposing conventional oil drilling, which is risky enough, but rather they are seeking permits for extreme, enhanced oil extraction processes known as cyclic steam injection and steam flooding, which are far riskier and more energy intensive than traditional drilling. The Environmental Defense Center (EDC) has just received $10,000 in grant funding from the Fund for Santa Barbara to help confront this major threat.
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