Environmental Defense Center, State Legislators call for environmental review and public hearings on restart of failed oil pipeline

October 2, 2024

Santa Barbara, CA – Plans to restart a failed pipeline that caused one of the worst oil spills in recent California history must be put on hold while the state conducts environmental review and holds public hearings, according to state legislators and the Santa Barbara-based nonprofit Environmental Defense Center (EDC).

In letters sent last Friday, EDC and 13 legislators representing coastal communities called on the State Fire Marshal to conduct environmental review as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) before signing off on the plan to restart the former Plains pipeline on the Gaviota Coast – the same pipeline that ruptured and caused the Refugio oil spill in 2015.

The letters also request that the Fire Marshal hold hearings and release documents related to the plan to allow for public input. So far, the approval process has been conducted behind closed doors with no opportunity for the public to review or comment on the restart plans, the letters noted.

“We have grave reservations regarding the restart of (the pipelines), which have already caused a catastrophic oil spill, and which Sable intends to restart without effective protection from corrosion,” the state legislators wrote in a letter spearheaded by State Senator Monique Limón. “The safety of these pipelines is a serious concern for many in our community, and it is important that the public is aware of the conditions of the pipelines and what is being done to make them operate safely.”

Sable Offshore Corp., a Texas-based oil company, has applied for a waiver and other approvals from the Fire Marshal to restart the pipeline without meeting federal standards or replacing the flawed technology that caused it to fail in the first place.

In 2015, the heavily corroded Plains All-American pipeline ruptured near Refugio State Beach.  The spill devastated 150 miles of the California coast, destroyed thousands of acres of shoreline and subtidal habitat, killed untold numbers of animals, including marine mammals, shut down fisheries, cost hundreds of millions to clean up, and resulted in criminal convictions for the former owner.

According to a draft Environmental Impact Report from Santa Barbara County, restarting the compromised pipeline likely would result in a spill every year, and a major rupture every four years. The county predicted that ruptures could be nearly twice the size of the Refugio spill, even if Sable installs modern safety valve technology.

In response to a public records request by EDC, Sable sued the state and EDC in July to prevent the release of the company’s oil spill contingency plan – a document that Sable is required to submit to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) outlining the condition of the pipeline, the risks of another oil spill, and potential volume of a “worst case” spill. The lawsuit claimed that the information would compromise national security and the company’s trade secrets.

The Sacramento County Superior Court disagreed with the company’s argument and ruled in favor of the state and EDC in August.  After receiving the document (pages 14-3 and 14-4), EDC learned that Sable estimated that a worst-case spill from its onshore pipelines could be at least 14 times the volume of the Refugio spill. At the same time, the document shows that Sable did not have an adequate plan in place to respond to another spill, and it had not demonstrated that it is financially capable of remediating a spill.

EDC, one of the longest-running nonprofit environmental law firms in the nation, has been fighting to stop the restart of the pipelines and other equipment formerly owned by ExxonMobil, including three drilling platforms off the Gaviota Coast and the Las Flores Canyon processing facility. This massive operation, known as the Santa Ynez Unit (SYU), was responsible for more than half of Santa Barbara County’s total greenhouse gas emissions when operational. Sable has told its investors that it plans to restart the entire operation, including the pipeline, before the end of the year.

While the Fire Marshal has the final say over whether Sable can restart its failed onshore pipeline, Sable needs additional approvals before restarting the SYU, including from Santa Barbara County; the State Lands Commission; the CDFW – Office of Spill Prevention and Response; and the California Department of Conservation – Geologic Energy Management Division.

“Should (the state Fire Marshal) approve the Restart Project, our clients and our community will bear the consequences,” EDC’s letter stated. “All we are asking for is a voice in a decision that will directly and substantially impact our community and the future of the Central Coast.”

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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.