A federal order Friday directed Sable Offshore Corporation to restart its pipelines to transport oil from Santa Ynez to Bakersfield.
Sable told the Santa Barbara County Fire Chief on Friday, shortly after the order, that it will begin transporting oil within 24 hours.
“The Trump Administration remains committed to putting all Americans and their energy security first,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement. “Unfortunately, some state leaders have not adhered to those same principles, with potentially disastrous consequences not just for their residents, but also our national security. Today’s order will strengthen America’s oil supply and restore a pipeline system vital to our national security and defense, ensuring that West Coast military installations have the reliable energy critical to military readiness.”
Second District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps has consistently opposed the restarting of the pipelines.
“This announcement by Secretary Wright is yet another interference in local control and serving the people in our community—and possibly an attempt to distract the public from skyrocketing gas prices due to the war in Iran.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on Dec. 22 approved a restart plan. Sable has not transported oil since May 2015 after a 142,000-gallon oil spill at Refugio State Beach Park. The spill caused 21,000 gallons to flow into the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of birds and marine mammals were killed, and 138 square miles of fisheries were closed for weeks, which triggered a $23.3 million settlement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an immediate statement.
“Donald Trump started a war, admitted it would spike gas prices nationwide, and told Americans it was a small price to pay,” Newsom said. “Now he’s using this crisis of his own making to attempt what he’s wanted to do for years: open California’s coast for his oil industry friends so they can poison our beaches. This wouldn’t lower prices by a cent.
“This is an attempt to illegally restart a pipeline whose operators are facing criminal charges and prohibited by multiple court orders from restarting,” the statement said.
Sable’s facility can produce approximately 50,000 barrels of oil per day, a 15 percent increase to California’s in-state oil production, that can replace nearly 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude each month, according to Wright’s statement.
Gregg Hart, 37th District Assemblyman, D-Santa Barbara, issued a statement on Friday.
“President Trump’s catastrophic move to override State environmental laws by invoking the Defense Production Act is another step on the slippery slope toward authoritarianism,” Hart said. “If the President can attack a foreign country without authorization from Congress and override state laws with unprecedented dubious legal authority—what is left of our Constitution?”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta in February announced he is suing the Trump administration for giving Sable Oil “bogus” approval to restart two onshore oil pipelines in Santa Barbara County.
