Environmental groups sue Trump administration over Sable’s restart of oil production
The Environmental Defense Center and other conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration on Sept. 22 to challenge a “special permit” allowing Sable Offshore Corp. to restart oil production at its Santa Ynez Unit off Santa Barbara County’s coast.
The permit waives certain federal safety regulations for onshore pipelines CA-324 and CA-325, the former of which was responsible for the 2015 Plains Oil Spill at Refugio State Beach, the environmental groups say.
Houston-based Sable restarted the pipelines in March after the Trump administration issued an order under the Defense Production Act ostensibly allowing the company to operate outside of normal state environmental, safety, and property laws, the groups say.
The administration has claimed a “national emergency” to fast-track approvals for the embattled pipelines and other projects, the groups say.
“This permit is part of an unprecedented federal effort to bring back defective pipelines over the objections of the state and our community,” Linda Krop, chief counsel of the Environmental Defense Center, said in a press release.
“We remember the severe damage to our environment and economy from the 2015 spill,” she said. “The permit issued by the Trump administration allows these lines to operate without meeting the usual safety requirements, and puts the coast and our entire community at risk of another major disaster.”
The groups’ suit was filed in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
