Presidential order on Sable pipeline would undermine rule of law and create public safety threat in California
March 5, 2026
SANTA BARBARA, CA – This week, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a legal opinion to help Sable Offshore Corp., the Texas company trying to restart a failed oil pipeline and other old facilities on the Central Coast of California. The opinion states that the President of the United States can use the Defense Production Act to order Sable to restart production, preempting all state law requirements and approvals that Sable has so far failed to secure.
The pipeline that runs from Santa Barbara to Kern County has been shut down for more than 10 years since it ruptured due to severe corrosion and caused one of the worst oil spills in state history. State regulators have told the company that the pipeline is not safe to restart without more repairs.
“Even in these unprecedented times, this abuse of executive power would be staggering,” said EDC Chief Counsel Linda Krop. “The federal administration is threatening to prop up a company that has flouted the law and failed to make necessary repairs identified by state regulators. Restarting this defective pipeline without following any state or federal safety laws would directly threaten our environment, our economic security, and the health and safety of Californians.”
Sable’s project has been bogged down after the company’s aggressive tactics resulted in felony criminal charges, a court injunction preventing restart of the pipeline without proper permits, multiple cease-and-desist orders from state regulators, and a record $18 million fine from the California Coastal Commission. A lawsuit filed by EDC also resulted in an injunction preventing Sable from restarting without all necessary approvals.
Under California law, Sable can’t restart without securing approvals including an easement to operate the pipeline through Gaviota State Park and a new Coastal Development Permit from the Coastal Commission. To date, no state or federal agency has conducted an environmental review of the project or held public hearings as required by law.
A presidential order that essentially exempts one oil company from any laws that get in its way would have dire consequences, Krop said.
“This is bigger than any one oil project. Anyone who cares about state sovereignty, law and order, and our environment should be outraged. We are exploring all options to challenge what would be a blatantly unlawful order,” she said.
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