Santa Barbara County Opposes Federal Amendment Targeting Sable Pipeline Route
Supervisors voted 3-1 to send the Senate a letter opposing a House provision that would let the Pentagon acquire land along the Santa Ynez Pipeline System.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has voted 3 to 1 to oppose a provision in the House-passed 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that would give the federal government new authority over land along the Santa Ynez Pipeline System. The county will send a letter stating its opposition to Senate leadership.
The amendment, introduced by Rep. Wesley Hunt, a Texas Republican, to the $1.15 trillion spending bill the House approved July 22, would allow the U.S. secretary of defense to acquire easements along the pipeline route through purchase, donation, exchange or condemnation. The Senate's version of the bill does not currently include the provision.
Rep. Salud Carbajal, a Santa Barbara Democrat, addressed the board before the vote. He said the amendment would set a precedent for federal seizure of California public lands through eminent domain and accused Houston-based Sable Offshore Corp. of enlisting congressional allies to tilt the process in its favor.
Supervisors Laura Capps and Steve Lavagnino framed their votes around local authority rather than oil production. Lavagnino, who said he usually avoids national issues, argued the measure directly affects the county and warned that heavy-handed federal action could cut either way as administrations change.
Supervisor Joan Hartmann recused herself because her property adjoins the pipeline. Board Chair Bob Nelson cast the lone dissenting vote, saying opponents of Sable, including the state, the California Coastal Commission, environmental groups and the county, have not acted in good faith and have relied on litigation to halt operations, leaving the company to pursue what he called a lawful congressional remedy.
On the same day as the vote, the Environmental Defense Center filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on behalf of itself and Get Oil Out!, the Santa Barbara County Action Network, the Sierra Club and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. The suit challenges the second special permit issued by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for the pipeline system. The filing groups say the permit waives federal pipeline safety rules and was issued without adequate environmental review.
Sable told county officials on Sept. 8 that it had identified seven potential anomalies requiring excavation and possible repair. According to the county, the company completed inland digs between Sept. 7 and Sept. 15 and planned to begin work along the Gaviota Coast. The line carries up to 50,000 barrels of crude per day.
Sable resumed production from the Santa Barbara Channel in March after Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed the restart on national security grounds. The pipeline system was shut down after a 2015 rupture spilled 142,000 gallons of oil at Refugio State Beach, with 21,000 gallons reaching the Pacific Ocean.
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