International Climate Organization Urges CA Governor to Take Action in Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Climate Rights International is urging California to permanently retire the Las Flores Pipeline, calling it a critical test of the state’s climate leadership as Governor Gavin Newsom pushes a bill that would make it harder for the pipeline to restart.

The same bill, however, also approves permits for some oil and gas production in Kern County, creating what critics call a mixed message on fossil fuels.

Brad Adams, executive director of Climate Rights International, said the proposal undermines California’s role as a climate leader.

“If California shows weakness, if California can’t stick to its guns, can’t shut down a pipeline that’s so obviously dangerous and so obviously going to break in the future, then we have, you know, very little hope of success in fighting climate change,” Adams said.

The Las Flores Pipeline, owned by Texas oil company Sable Offshore, ruptured during the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill off the Santa Barbara coast. Newsom’s proposal sets different guidelines for offshore versus onshore drilling, adding another layer to the debate.

Climate Rights International’s report, “Crude Awakening: Why California Must Retire the Las Flores Pipeline,” is the group’s first focused on California. It urges the state to enforce all environmental laws, conduct a full environmental review, and ensure scientists and local communities are included in the decision-making process.

The group argues the outcome of the Las Flores debate could shape global conversations on climate change.

KEYT has reached out to Sable Offshore for comment on its timeline to restart production along the Central Coast and is awaiting a response.

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