A project to remove a nearly century old oil facility in Santa Barbara County and to restore the area has received state approval.
The California Coastal Commission okayed UC Santa Barbara's plan to remove oil tanks, pipelines, and other facilities connected with the Ellwood Marine Terminal. It was built in 1929. For decades, barges would stop off of the site on the eastern edge of Ellwood Mesa to pick up shipments of crude oil for shipment to oil processing facilities.
The facility was shut down in 2012.
After the oil facilities are removed from the 19 acre site, plans call for restoring the natural habitat, and adding trails and coastal overlooks. The demolition work will take about eight months, but the entire restoration effort could take five years.
