Refugio Oil Spill

President Joe Biden today used his authority to ban new oil and gas drilling in most federal waters, including the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and the Gulf of Mexico. Just what will the president’s sweeping action mean for California’s Central Coast? To put it succinctly, not a lot.

The state Fire Marshal has signed off on a waiver that was a key hurdle in reopening the pipeline involved in the Refugio Oil Spill nine years ago. The waiver would allow Sable to bypass federal regulations on “cathodic protection,” which is supposed to prevent pipeline corrosion. Environmental groups and some local politicians are criticizing the decision.

The company responsible for the 2015 Refugio spill has agreed to a settlement that will pay the state tens-of-millions of dollars for cleanup costs.

The Environmental Defense Center filed the appeal after the Planning Commission voted to transfer permits for an oil operation on the Gaviota Coast to a new company, called Sable Offshore.

The California Coastal Commission is accusing the company that owns the Refugio Oil spill pipeline of doing unpermitted construction. The Coastal Commission first sent a violation letter in September, asking Sable Offshore Corp. to stop all work on the pipeline until it secured the proper coastal permits.

An oil company trying to restart the pipeline that caused the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill is filing a restraining order against the State of California. According to the restraining order application, its to prevent the state from releasing an unredacted document that outlines the pipeline’s safety conditions and potential spill risks.

A preliminary $70 million class action settlement over the 2015 Refugio oil spill would require the pipeline owners to pay more than 90 affected property owners.

The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission has denied plans proposed by ExxonMobil-affiliate Pacific Pipeline Corporation, to upgrade an oil pipeline that caused the 2015 Refugio Beach oil spill.

The oil company behind the Refugio Beach oil spill will pay $230 million in a settlement for a class-action lawsuit brought by fishermen and residents affected by the spill.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to deny the proposal in March due to concerns about potential environmental impacts.