Last week, the California Coastal Commission fined oil company Sable Offshore Corp. $18 million for its refusal to abide by the Coastal Act. Now, the Environmental Defense Center is taking legal action against the state.
Earlier this week, the Environmental Defense Center filed a lawsuit in Santa Barbara County courts challenging waivers granted to Sable.
The State Fire Marshal's waivers allow the restart of a defective oil pipeline off the Central Coast. This same pipeline caused the 2015 Refugio Oil spill, which resulted in more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil spilling into the ocean and costing more than $20 million in damage and restoration.
The lawsuit states that the State Fire Marshal approved the waivers at the end of last year without properly considering the risks of operating the formerly failed pipeline and without conducting an environmental review or allowing for public input as required by state and federal law.
In a separate matter on Thursday, a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge denied a request from the California Coastal Commission for a temporary restraining order against Sable to halt the company’s maintenance and repair work in the coastal zone. In response, Sable Vice President Steve Rusch stated, “Sable Offshore has long held that its repair and maintenance work is fully authorized by existing permits approved by both Santa Barbara County and the California Coastal Commission.”
The Environmental Defense Center says an injunction is set for May 14.
