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Legal battle ensues over disclosure of Refugio oil spill pipeline records

The pipeline, now owned by Sable Offshore Corp., ruptured, spilling over 100,000 gallons of crude oil near Refugio State Beach in Goleta.
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The pipeline, now owned by Sable Offshore Corp., ruptured, spilling over 100,000 gallons of crude oil near Refugio State Beach in Goleta.

An oil company trying to restart the pipeline responsible for the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill is filing a restraining order against the State of California.

Nearly a decade ago, the pipeline—now owned by Sable Offshore Corp.—ruptured, spilling more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil off the coast of Refugio State Beach.

Sable’s restraining order application said the company filed the order to prevent the state from releasing an unredacted document detailing the pipeline’s safety conditions and spill risks.

Jeremy Frankel is an attorney with the Environmental Defense Center, a group that originally requested that document from the state.

“The public has an urgent need to know the potential danger of restarting this pipeline,” Frankel said.

Sable argues that releasing the confidential information could expose the pipeline to sabotage.

The oil company did not respond to KCBX’s request for comment in time for this story. A hearing on the restraining order is scheduled for Tuesday.

KCBX Reporter Amanda Wernik graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a BS in Journalism. Amanda is currently a fellow with the USC Center for Health Journalism, completing a data fellowship that will result in a news feature series to air on KCBX in the winter of 2024.
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