Environmental Defense Center Stops Sable Offshore Oil Corporation from Concealing Oil Spill Plan
August 20, 2024
Judge rules that State must Release Plan to the Public
Santa Barbara, CA – A Superior Court judge ruled today that the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) is entitled to receive an oil company document outlining the dangers of restarting the former Plains pipeline – the same pipeline that caused the catastrophic Refugio oil spill in 2015.
Sable Offshore, a Texas-based oil company attempting to restart the failed pipeline, sued the State of California and EDC in an attempt to prevent EDC from receiving a copy of the document.
“This pipeline has already caused one of the worst spills in recent California history,” said EDC Executive Director Alex Katz. “If Sable is allowed to restart it, another spill is not a matter of if, but when. It is critical for the public to know Sable’s plan for dealing with emergencies, and what the company thinks a ‘worst case’ scenario would look like.”
In June, EDC filed a Public Records Act request for a document that Sable is required to submit to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) called an Integrated Contingency Plan (ICP). The document, otherwise known as an oil spill contingency plan, includes information about the condition of the pipeline, Sable’s plan to handle emergencies, such as oil spills, and the company’s analysis of a potential “worst case” spill. After CDFW informed Sable that it was going to release the document, Sable sued to keep it secret.
Today the Sacramento County Superior Court held a hearing on Sable’s request for a preliminary injunction. The Court ruled that there were no binding legal impediments to the State releasing the information to the public and denied the request.
“Sable made no credible argument to justify its claims that the condition of the pipeline and the company’s plan for a worst-case oil spill should be concealed from the public,” said Jeremy Frankel, EDC Staff Attorney. “The judge correctly ruled that the public has a right to this information. This information will help EDC and the public respond to Sable’s applications to restart the very pipeline that ruptured in 2015, causing one of the largest oil spills in California history.”
EDC, one of the longest-running nonprofit environmental law firms in the nation, has been fighting to stop the restart of the pipeline and other equipment formerly owned by ExxonMobil, including three offshore drilling platforms shut down since the catastrophic 2015 Refugio spill.
In 2015, the poorly-built and heavily corroded Plains All-American pipeline ruptured near Refugio State Beach, releasing approximately 123,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. The spill devastated 150 miles of the California coast, destroyed thousands of acres of shoreline and subtidal habitat, killed untold numbers of animals, including marine mammals, shut down fisheries, cost hundreds of millions to clean up, and resulted in criminal convictions for the former owner.
According to a draft Environmental Impact Report from Santa Barbara County, restarting the compromised pipeline likely would result in a spill every year, and a major rupture every four years. The county predicted that ruptures could be nearly twice the size of the Refugio spill, even if Sable installs modern safety valve technology.
Sable has told its investors that it plans to restart the entire operation, including the pipeline, as soon as next month.
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The Environmental Defense Center defends nature and advances environmental justice on California’s Central Coast through advocacy and legal action. Since 1977, EDC has represented more than 140 nonprofit, community-based organizations to protect the Central Coast and the Earth’s climate. EDC is funded through private donations, receiving no government assistance. More at: www.EnvironmentalDefenseCenter.org.
