Sable Pipeline Faces Uncertain Future After Santa Barbara Supervisors’ Deadlock Vote
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A controversial oil project on California’s Central Coast remains unresolved after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors deadlocked 2-2 on a vote regarding a permit transfer for a pipeline linked to the 2015 Refugio oil spill. The stalemate means Sable Offshore Corp.'s application remains pending without approval or denial, leaving the next steps up to the company.
"They still have a pending application with no action taken on it," said Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, public information officer with Santa Barbara County. "It hasn’t been approved or denied. It’s now up to Sable to decide what to do next."
The pipeline, originally operated by ExxonMobil, was responsible for spilling more than 140,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, damaging 150 miles of coastline and marine ecosystems.
The county Planning Commission approved the permit transfer to Sable in October, but the decision was appealed by local environmental groups. Sable currently owns three offshore platforms, the Las Flores Canyon processing facility on the Gaviota Coast, and the pipeline that ruptured and caused the 2015 Refugio oil spill.
Environmental activists strongly opposed transferring the permit to Sable Offshore, warning of potential environmental risks, while project supporters highlighted job creation and economic benefits.
The Board of Supervisors meeting drew large crowds from both sides, with representatives from Sable Offshore distributing company-branded caps, while environmentalists wore "Disable Sable" stickers and held signs.
During the nearly seven-hour public comment period, community members voiced strong opinions. One activist stated, "I cannot sit by and watch another injustice like the Refugio oil spill happen again." Another warned, "This is the moment before tragedy happens. This is the moment we'll all look back on and say, did we make the right decision back then?"
Supporters of the transfer argued that Sable would create additional jobs, stating, "Sable will be creating an additional 300 jobs."
Before the first vote to deny the appeal, Supervisor Laura Capps said, "It's not fair for some folks to walk out of here and think, okay, we stopped the pipeline or we started the pipeline. That is not what we're doing here. And that is completely unfair."
Supervisor Rob Nelson criticized the proceedings as "political theater," stating, "Gaslighting is making me think that many of the young people that showed up will believe that their government doesn't care or didn't listen to them. This is about politics, not the environment."
Supervisor Joan Hartmann recused herself because her Buellton home is near the pipeline, leading to just four supervisors casting a vote.
Supervisors Roy Lee and Laura Capps supported the appeals and opposed granting the permit transfers, while Supervisors Bob Nelson and Steve Lavagnino voted to reject the appeals and authorize the transfers.
After the first deadlocked vote to deny the appeal, Capps called for a second vote to uphold the appeal, which also ended in a deadlock.
Linda Krop from the Environmental Defense Center believes the vote to deny the appeal means the county did not grant the transfers.
Sable Offshore issued a statement claiming victory after the meeting. Steve Rusch, the company’s vice president of environmental and governmental affairs, said, "Sable is pleased the appeals failed and the Planning Commission’s approval of the Santa Ynez Unit permit transfer to Sable stands. We look forward to continuing to work with the county to finalize the permit transfer and to safely restart production as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, Sable is suing the California Coastal Commission after the commission issued a second cease-and-desist letter last week for restarting work along the Gaviota Coast. The commission originally issued a notice in November, which expired in February.
Sable alleges the notices “unlawfully prevent” the company’s repair and maintenance work along the pipelines.
