Controversial efforts to restart a long-idled oil project in Santa Barbara County have hit another roadblock.
A judge kept in place an injunction preventing the pipeline's restart, which ruptured in 2015, causing a 140,000-gallon oil spill on the Gaviota Coast.
Sable Offshore Corporation wants to get the repaired pipeline back in action so it can resume production from three offshore oil platforms idled by the accident more than a decade ago.
After failing to get restart approval from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which regulates pipelines, Sable turned to the federal government for help. The company argued federal regulators should oversee the pipeline. A federal agency quickly approved the restart plan.
But, Santa Barbara’s Environmental Defense Center and other opponents filed suit, contending the fire marshal’s office was the proper agency to regulate the pipeline. A Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge agreed, issuing a temporary injunction which the judge reaffirmed on Friday.
Sable argues the original permits for the project allow it to repair and operate the pipeline. Opponents say that, at a minimum, it needs to undergo a new environmental review. They contend that restarting the decades-old pipeline and oil platforms will set the stage for another environmental disaster.
There are other legal and regulatory hurdles facing Sable. A major one is a new state law that took effect January 1, which requires the State Coastal Commission to review and approve a Coastal Development Permit for the restart of any idled oil platforms.
