Oil company wants to expand Orcutt drilling despite pipe closures
Since Plains All American Pipeline shut down Lines 901 and 903 in May after the Refugio oil spill, Pacific Coast Energy is one of only a few oil producers in the county able to get its product to market. The Orcutt-based business, which operates under its Los Angeles-based parent company Breitburn Energy, is trying to Read More →
Goleta will allow Venoco to transport oil using trucks
The city of Goleta issued a notice of decision to Venoco on Aug. 17 that denied an emergency permit application to transport oil using trucks but deemed the work consistent under the existing Ellwood Onshore Facility operating permit and Safety, Inspection, Maintenance and Quality Assurance Plan. Venoco will evacuate crude oil from tanks and pipelines Read More →
3 months after oil spill, Santa Barbara region recovering
Even though Plains All American Pipeline underestimated the extent of the Refugio oil spill, Santa Barbara businesses and residents are feeling less of a sting than expected since the rupture fouled the Gaviota coastline and its wildlife about three months ago. Plains, the Houston-based oil company responsible for the spill, said in a quarterly Read More →
Dubroff: Litigation, criminal probe could put squeeze on oil pipeline operator
When Barry Cappello litigates, people listen. Which is why his June 23 lawsuit seeking class action status and unspecified damages against Plains All American Pipeline may prove to be a turning point in the sorry history of the Refugio oil spill. “It was a disaster waiting to happen again and again,” is the way Cappello Read More →
Cry grows to stop new oil production in Santa Barbara County
The Refugio oil spill cleanup will keep area beaches closed at least until June 4, the number of wildlife affected continues to grow, Canada de Alegria to Coal Oil Point fisheries are off limits and a geyser of negative national media attention has tarnished the region’s pristine reputation. The spill, which was the result of Read More →
