Santa Barbara County won a round in its legal battle over the controversial restart of an oil pipeline in Santa Barbara County.
The county refused to grant permits to Sable Oil Corporation to restart an oil pipeline that ruptured in 2015, as well as for some fuel processing facilities. Sable and ExxonMobil sued, asserting that the denial of the permits was an illegal “taking” of the company’s property.
Sable contends that the original permits for the decades-old pipeline let it repair and restart the system.
This week, a U.S. District Court Judge rejected the arguments that the property had been illegally taken.
Despite the court battle, the pipeline system has been in operation since March. The federal government used a 1950s-era law intended for national emergencies to declare that Sable could bypass local and state regulators, and resume operations.
The company restarted oil production from two of its three oil platforms off the Santa Barbara County coast, and officials say they plan to have the third platform online before the end of the summer.
The pipeline ruptured in 2015, causing a 140,000-gallon oil spill on the Gaviota Coast. Sable contends it has repaired the pipeline and added safety measures well beyond what's required. However, environmentalists say restarting the decades-old system sets the stage for another major disaster.
The federal order leading to the resumption of oil production is being challenged by the state in court.
