Activists, Government Officials, and Sable Employees Gather for Tense Town Hall Meeting

On March 13th, activists and community members clad in red gathered at the Environmental Defense Center (EDC), holding signs that read “Don’t Enable Sable” and “Oil Spills Kill.” They were there for a press conference, which preceded an anticipated town hall meeting hosted by District 37 State Assemblymember Gregg Hart and District 21 State Senator Monique Limón, where state agencies would gather to discuss their oversight of crude oil pipelines. 

The oversight conversation is especially relevant now as Sable Offshore Corp., a Texas-based oil and gas company, wants to restart the Santa Ynez Unit (SYU), which consists of three offshore oil platforms, a pipeline, and a processing plant responsible for the 2015 Refugio oil spill. 

They purchased the facilities from Exxon Mobil Corp. two years ago, hoping to bring them back to life. But they haven’t been able to transfer the permits from Exxon to themselves. According to the terms of their deal, if they cannot restart the facilities by 2026, ownership could be transferred back to Exxon. 

Even if Sable receives proper permits, activists and community members believe another oil spill is inevitable. That’s why they’re ramping up the fight and calling on California’s big guns to stop the project. 

At the EDC, Limón and Hart called on California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state agencies to enforce the law and hold Sable accountable for allegedly operating in violation of multiple state orders. “We are sending a message to California, to the state agencies that come today, that we will fight to protect our coastline, our watersheds, our cities, and our people,” declared EDC Chief Counsel Linda Krop. “And this is an important message,” she continued. “Laws still matter in California.”

Actress and activist Jane Fonda and actress and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus also spoke at the EDC, rallying with the crowd.

Following the press conference, everyone traveled to La Cumbre Junior High School for the town hall. Over 200 Sable employees were already present, making the total attendance around 500. 

Representatives from eight state agencies discussed their oversight during the SYU unit’s restart while California Natural Resources Agency secretary Wade Crowfoot moderated. The agencies present included the California Coastal Commission, the State Lands Commission, the Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Geologic Energy Management Division of the Department of Conservation, and two regional Water Quality Control Boards. 

“Them being here is a reflection of how important this issue is to not just the community, but to our state,” declared Limón at the town hall. “And how much they care to be here to give this information today.” She stressed that “no decisions” would be made at the town hall, but instead, the purpose of the meeting was to clarify to the public each department’s role, and the extent of its authority. 

The first agency to speak was the California Coastal Commission (CCC), which has been in a tug-of-war with Sable over the past few months. They issued multiple cease-and-desist orders urging them to stop pipeline repair work, citing improper permitting, and requesting that Sable apply for a Coastal Development Permit. Once the first expired, they filed a second cease-and-desist in February. Still, Sable ignored the second order, arguing that their work was permitted. They then filed a complaint against the CCC on February 18th. 

“This is the first time in the agency’s history that we’ve had a party blatantly ignore a cease-and-desist order like this and refuse to submit a permanent application,” said Cassidy Teufel, the California Coastal Commission’s Deputy Director of Energy and Ocean resources. This declaration incited boos from the EDC’s supporters. 

Although the public wasn’t supposed to speak at the meeting, many did anyway. The town hall intended to address their questions, but environmentalists and activists remained frustrated – not necessarily toward the state representatives but toward their lack of control over the issue.

In between shouts from the rowdy crowd, state agency representatives clarified some key aspects of the regulatory processes. Heather Geldart, Administrator from the Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), specified what would happen in the event of a “reasonable” worst-case scenario oil spill. OSPR calculated a spill volume for the marine pipeline at almost 2,000 barrels, and over 15,000 barrels for the inland pipelines at 42 gallons per barrel. She mentioned that the installation of 27 safety valves by Sable contributed to a lower estimated volume for a worst-case spill. 

She further confirmed that Sable submitted their $101 million Certificate of Financial Responsibility (COFR), which OSPR vetted. She assured that they would pull from a pool of state and federal funds if Sable could not fully cover the costs of a worst-case spill. 

Many were displeased with State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant. Between shouts of disapproval from the audience, Berlant reiterated that his office would “not give the go-ahead” for the pipeline to operate if it did not meet all safety requirements, including addressing corrosion concerns. “And so again, just be clear, while they have provided conditions and other elements to be able to safely restart and meet the existing requirements of the plan, again, it is not the turn-on that they can actually do,” he said. “That still has yet to come.” He also emphasized that the State Fire Marshal’s office performs annual inspections on the pipelines, exceeding federal requirements. 

Krop was invited to speak onstage following the state reps’ presentations. She then swiftly handed the mic to Louis-Dreyfus, who recited an identical speech she delivered a few hours earlier at the EDC. “I can smell a rat,” she proclaimed. “And this project is a rat.” 

During Louis-Dreyfus’s impassioned speech, almost every Sable employee shuffled out of the theater with crestfallen faces, followed by affirming cheers from environmental activists who waved their signs at Sable employees. “Oh, are you off the clock?” someone in passing said to the employees. 

While Louis-Dreyfus and Krop spoke on behalf of the EDC, Sable was not invited to speak onstage. In a text message tothe Montecito Journal, a Sable representative shared that Sable was not formally invited to the meeting but that they showed up to support their employer. 

As such, Sable Vice President of Environmental and Governmental Affairs Steve Rusch issued a statement following the meeting: “Sable Offshore management, employees, contractors, labor and supporters showed up today in good faith to participate in a town hall meeting where only government officials were on the agenda to present. Project opponents forced the moderators to give them dedicated time to present biased information and smear the project. The opponents’ self-serving fundraiser and rally was not an appropriate use of public resources.”