EDC statement on CA Attorney General lawsuit against Sable Offshore Corp.

The Texas-based Sable is attempting to restart offshore platforms and other idled equipment in Santa Barbara County—including the same defective pipeline responsible for one of the worst oil spills in California history just 10 years ago.

The lawsuit accuses Sable of knowingly discharging potentially harmful materials into waters and habitats along the pipeline route, which crosses sensitive ecosystems in the Coastal Zone, runs through Gaviota State Park and neighborhoods in the City of Buellton, goes under major rivers, and ends about 125 miles away in Kern County. Sable also disregarded notices of violation and failed to submit information as required by law to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, according to the complaint.

The Environmental Defense Center (EDC) released the below statement today.

“Once again, Sable is being accused of blatantly and deliberately violating the law in its rush to make money off of this old, dangerous equipment,” said EDC Chief Counsel Linda Krop. “According to the complaint, Sable’s conduct was at best incompetent, and at worst deceitful. How much more evidence do we need that this company is either unable or unwilling to follow the law and operate responsibly in our state?”

Quotes from the Attorney General’s lawsuit:

¶ 1: “Sable placed profits over environmental protection in its rush to get oil on the market.”

¶ 58: “Sable cynically refused to obtain waste discharge requirements…until the excavation work was completed so as to avoid delay and impeded the Regional Water Board’s ability to provide input into the application of best management practices to address impacts to water quality.”

¶ 58: Sable’s management “was at best misinformed, incompetent, and incorrect. At worst, Sable was simply bamboozling the Regional Water Board to meet a critical deadline. Either way, substantial penalties are warranted for Sable’s egregious conduct.’

Background

Starting last year, Sable received multiple notices of violation related to its repair work from agencies including the State Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the California Coastal Commission. Sable also ignored cease-and-desist orders from the Coastal Commission, leading to a record $18 million fine and a third cease-and-desist order from the Commission in April. However, following the Commission’s enforcement action, Sable immediately continued its work on the pipeline until a Superior Court judge issued an injunction halting repairs. According to the Commission, much of the work destroyed or disrupted sensitive habitats or species in the Coastal Zone.

In September, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed 21 criminal charges against Sable, including five felony counts. The complaint accuses Sable of violating the law while excavating and making repairs to the severely corroded pipeline – the same pipeline responsible for one of the worst oil spill disasters in California history just 10 years ago.

Charges include five felony counts of knowingly discharging a pollutant into a waterway and sixteen misdemeanor counts of unlawfully obstructing a streambed and discharging materials harmful to wildlife.

EDC has been leading efforts to oppose Sable’s restart of oil and gas facilities formerly owned by ExxonMobil, including three 1980s-era offshore platforms, onshore processing stations, and the defective pipeline that ruptured in 2015, causing the Plains oil spill at Refugio State Beach. EDC represents Get Oil Out! (GOO!), the Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN), the Sierra Club, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, and EDC in this case. For more information, go to Sable’s Dangerous Oil Project.


https://www.environmentaldefensecenter.org/programs_press_type/parent-room/environmental-defense-center-statement-on-ca-attorney-general-lawsuit-against-sable-offshore-corp/