Environmentalists Sue Trump Administration Over Sable Pipeline Permit as County Leaders Push Back
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — The fight over Sable Offshore's Central Coast oil pipelines is escalating on multiple fronts.
The Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and several conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a special permit issued by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
The lawsuit comes as Sable continues inspecting portions of its pipeline system for potential corrosion — and one day after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to oppose a federal proposal that could give the government greater authority over land along the pipeline route.
EDC challenges federal pipeline permit
The Environmental Defense Center, Get Oil Out!, Santa Barbara County Action Network, Sierra Club and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper are challenging the federal special permit covering Sable's onshore pipelines CA-324 and CA-325.
CA-324 was involved in the 2015 Refugio oil spill, when a pipeline rupture released crude oil along the Santa Barbara coast.
EDC argues the federal government improperly took regulatory authority over the pipelines away from California.
The lawsuit also alleges the permit violates federal environmental and pipeline safety laws, including the Pipeline Safety Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.
“This permit is part of an unprecedented federal effort to bring back defective pipelines over the objections of the state and our community,” EDC Chief Counsel Linda Krop said in a statement.
The allegations in the lawsuit have not been proven in court.
Sable finds pipeline anomalies
The legal challenge comes months after Sable restarted its pipelines.
Sable resumed operations in March after the Trump administration issued an order under the Defense Production Act.
In August, Sable notified Santa Barbara County that it had identified 12 anomalies, or potential defects, serious enough to require excavation and possible repairs, according to EDC.
The company has been conducting what it calls validation digs to physically inspect the pipeline.
A recent report from the Santa Barbara News-Press said Sable had identified seven potential anomalies requiring excavation and had completed inland digs, with additional work planned along the Gaviota Coast.
EDC's lawsuit argues the discovery of the anomalies underscores its concerns about allowing the pipelines to operate.
The actual condition of each anomaly remains subject to physical inspection.
County opposes Hunt Amendment
The pipeline dispute also reached the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
Supervisors voted 3-1 to oppose the so-called Hunt Amendment, which was added to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027.
The amendment, introduced by Texas Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt, would authorize the U.S. secretary of Defense to acquire easements along the Santa Ynez Pipeline System through purchase, donation, exchange or condemnation.
County officials say the proposal could allow the federal government to use eminent domain to obtain land needed for the pipeline system, including property owned by the state of California.
Supervisor Laura Capps said the issue was about maintaining local authority over land-use decisions.
“It’s really about what we do up here, about whether local communities retain the authority to ensure that pipelines operating in their backyards meet the safety, and environmental standards required by law,” Capps said, according to the Santa Barbara News-Press.
Supervisor Steve Lavagnino also supported opposing the amendment, saying he was voting based on the principle of local control over local land use.
Board Chair Bob Nelson voted against sending the opposition letter.
Supervisor Joan Hartmann recused herself from the vote because her property is adjacent to the Sable pipeline route.
What's next?
The County plans to send its opposition to Senate leadership. The Hunt Amendment is currently part of the House version of the defense authorization bill; the Senate version does not currently contain the provision.
Meanwhile, EDC's lawsuit over the pipeline permit will proceed in federal court.
The legal challenge is separate from another lawsuit involving the federal government's decision to take regulatory authority over the pipelines from California. That earlier case remains pending in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Sable's pipeline inspections are also continuing along the Central Coast.
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