The California Coastal Commission charged Sable Offshore Corporation more than $18 million dollars for unauthorized construction along the Gaviota Coast. The company has been working to revive the same pipeline that spilled more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil near Santa Barbara.
The commission also mandated that Sable stop its work near the pipeline and restore impacts on the land caused by the unpermitted work.
The commission said the Texas-based oil company ignored two cease-and-desist orders last year that instructed it to stop work in the area.
At Thursday’s hearing, Sable Vice President of Environmental and Governmental Affairs, Steve Rusch, said the accusations were “improper and unwarranted.”
“Sable only undertook this work after the county confirmed the work was authorized,” Rusch said.
In a written statement, Santa Barbara County said a settlement agreement specifically approved Sable’s installation of safety valves on the pipeline system, and added that permission to restart the pipeline is not a county decision.
But according to Linda Krop, legal counsel with one of the groups against the project, the county’s communication has not been clear.
“We have the county elected officials very concerned about Sable and recently voted not to transfer permits to Sable from Exxon. Then you've got the county staff, without authorization from the Board of Supervisors, telling Sable that they can continue this work because they have permits from 1987,” Kropp said.
Meanwhile, nearby communities including Isla Vista, Goleta and Buellton voted against Sable’s work on the pipeline earlier this year.
Sable employees at the meeting argued that the pipeline is safe, and they urged the commission to let the company bring jobs and a safe oil pipeline to the California Coast.
