Trump Intervened to Revive a Fraught Santa Barbara Oil Pipeline, But Why?
For roughly a year and a half, California state and local authorities have been locked in a power struggle with the Trump administration over who gets to regulate oil production off the coast of Santa Barbara, a beach town beloved by surfers, swimmers, tourists, and nature lovers—and by extension, the entire West Coast. The fight […]
California state and local authorities have been in a power struggle with the Trump administration over who has the authority to regulate oil production off the coast of Santa Barbara. Sable Offshore, a Houston-based company, recently resumed pumping oil through an offshore pipeline that had been stopped since a 2015 spill, following a directive from the Department of Energy.
The DOE justified its intervention as a way to increase domestic energy production for national security. However, opponents argue that it's an attempt to undermine state rights and environmental regulations. The administration appears to have won the latest round, but the dispute is far from over. Both Sable and its allies, environmental groups, and federal, state, and local agencies have brought numerous legal actions against one another, accusing Sable of violating environmental laws, doing unpermitted work, and trespassing on state land.
US District Judge Stephen Wilson fined Sable $1.5 million for violating the consent decree it inherited from Plains All American, the company operating the pipeline at the time of the 2015 spill. However, the judge also ruled that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration was authorized to restart the pipeline under the Defense Production Act.
This ruling has sparked legal battles, with the state and plaintiffs appealing the decision. The outcome of this dispute may be more influenced by politics than science and safety, with President Trump's pro-oil industry stance playing a role.
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