Some legislators have fired a new salvo in the controversial restart of some oil production operations in Santa Barbara County. It’s the latest effort in the fight against Sable Offshore Corporation's resumption of operations.
Sable owns the pipeline, which ruptured on the Gaviota Coast in 2015, causing a 140,000-gallon oil spill.
The company tried to get approval from state regulators to restart the repaired pipeline, but those efforts stalled. The company turned to the federal government, but those efforts hit legal roadblocks.
The Trump administration then used a 1950s-era law that allows the federal government to bypass normal regulations for the production of essential materials during national emergencies. The pipeline resumed operation in March.
In a letter to Sable, Democratic Congressman Salud Carbajal of Santa Barbara and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff say invoking the Defense Production Act is a misuse of the federal law. They are raising questions about the company’s financial contributions to political action groups, which they say supported President Trump’s election campaigns.
The letter demands access to communications between the company and the federal government related to the restart.
Environmental groups have raised questions about the safety of the pipeline, which is moving an estimated 50,000 barrels of oil a day.
Despite several legal challenges, the pipeline is continuing to move oil from its three oil platforms off the Santa Barbara County coastline.
