Planning Commission approves change of ownership for pipeline linked to Refugio oil spill

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved ExxonMobil's request for a change of owner, operator and guarantor for the Plains All American Pipeline.

"In 2015 there was a spill of the Plain's pipeline along the Gaviota coast," said John Zorovich, the commission's Deputy Director of Energy, Minerals and Compliance.

More than 120,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from an underground pipelines and flowed under the 101 freeway and down a cliff into the ocean in an area known for it biodiversity.

Zorovich said the administration action is intended to transfer the permit.

"They formally acknowledged through the county's ordinance process that there is now a new owner."

ExxonMobil and it's pipeline company subsidiaries purchased the pipeline from Plain's last October for an undisclosed amount.

Exxon submitted an application to the county for valves that could decrease the level of spills, but that application was denied by the planning commission.

The valves would be part of an effort to restart the pipeline that used to carry oil from three ExxonMobil offshore platforms to its onshore refineries.

All the proposals will go before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

Zorovich said they are preparing environmental documents for a number of options.

Opponents have ten days to appeal the planning commission's vote.

The Environmental Defense Center's Chief Council Linda Krop said they will be working on an appeal on behalf of clients as soon as Friday.

"We are really upset with what happened at the county today, " said Krop, "As you may recall the Plain's oil pipeline is completely damaged, we had a major oil spill from 2015 and today the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted to allow Plain's to transfer that pipeline to some ExxonMobil companies without fixing it."

Krop said that pipeline is still corroded.

"The county's regulations say a pipeline can only be transferred if it complies with all of the permit conditions, a key point of condition for this pipeline is that it has to be protected from corrosion and protected against oil spills," said Krop.

Environmental groups are aware of an application to build a new pipeline.

Krop said the county will discuss the valve issue first on August 22, 2023.

ExxonMobil has been invited to comment on the vote and future plans.