It was a huge controversy involving oil development. Hundreds of people showed up for a Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting. The issue was a request to approve an ownership change for some oil facilities along the county’s coast. Opponents want to keep the currently idle facilities closed.
The transfer request involved the pipeline which ruptured on the Gaviota Coast in 2015, causing a 140,000 gallon oil spill. Sable Offshore Corporation bought the pipeline, and associated facilities. It wants to repair and reopen it, allowing three offshore oil platforms to resume operations.
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved the transfer.
A coalition of environmental groups trying to stop the restart efforts appealed, citing more than a dozen issues. A large number of county residents called on Supervisors to prevent the project from resuming operations. There were also supporters on hand, saying that oil facilities can be operated safely, and that a restart means jobs and a boost for the region's economy.
County officials and supervisors said the question before them wasn’t whether the pipeline should be restarted, and that a state agency controls that issue. They said the question was simply the ownership change.
Hundreds of people were on hand for the more than five hour long hearing.
In the end, those opposed to the pipeline won at least a temporary victory, but not necessarily because of their arguments. It was by default. The four board members on hand were divided 2-2. Despite two different votes, it was a deadlock both times.
Supervisor Joan Hartmann didn't take part in the vote. She recused herself to avoid a conflict of interest because part of the pipeline crosses onto her property.
It meant the board took no action on the appeal. At the same time, it meant no action on Sable’s application. It’s up to Sable to see if it will try again, but for now at least, approval of the ownership change is stalled.
