Dear Santa Barbara County Planning Commissioners,
Citizens Planning Association asks that you deny Sable’s application to transfer permits for the Santa Ynez Unit, POPCO Gas Plant, and Las Flores Pipelines. Our County has already suffered from the devastating oil spill from those corroded pipelines and surely there will be another catastrophic event if you allow these same oil pipelines to be used.
I speak today as CPA President but I want to explain one reason I have stayed with CPA all these years. It is related to Refugio Beach. Personally, my family has camped at Refugio since we moved to the area in 1979. We and thousands of other California families missed out for more than a year on our camping experiences after the oil spill fouled the waters and beach at Refugio in 1995.
I was traveling on the 101 on the day of the spill. Ironically, I was driving home to Lompoc after attending a short County Planning Commission meeting. As I approached Refugio, I was enveloped by a stifling chemical stench. I looked down as I passed Refugio Beach and saw nothing going on. The sun was out; the water was a sparkling blue. I could only smell the stench.
I continued a short distance north and saw one State Park Ranger’s truck along the highway. I know something was wrong because the smell was something I had never experienced before. But where was everyone? No one was there to help. Nothing was being done. As soon as I got home. I called EDC to see if something had been reported. And the rest is history. History has proven the oil company did not know what to do. no one did anything for more than hour and a half as that toxic gunk spilled into our precious waters and fouled our favorite beach.
So here we are. Are we going to set ourselves up for another catastrophe? Our research did not come up with much information about Sable. We would argue Sable does not have the financial resources to cover the cost of clean up from the next spill.
If deep pocketed Exxon just sat on their hands and let that oil ooze down into the ocean, will this shill company be able to prevent or stop a spill. Do they even have an Oil Spill Contingency Plan
A few months ago, I noticed lots of equipment on the land adjacent to the 101 just north of Refugio. I wondered immediately what was going on as I had read nothing about a permit for this kind of work. Lo and behold, Sable had started some trenching all along that area. Oh, with no permits. They have since been made to stop this unpermitted work. This does not bode well for their relationship with our county energy department. Why were they allowed to do this illegal trenching which everyone passing could see. Why did it take the County so long to stop it? The piles of dirt are now sitting there in full view of the passing public.
In closing, CPA urges the Commission to deny this transfer. I don’t ever again want to smell that stench or see the aftermath of an oil spill. Do not allow further destruction of our fragile ecosystem by some out of state players who could care less. I care. My family cares. My grandchildren care. CPA cares. Everyone in this room and at home cares. Stop it now.
Marell Brooks
President, Citizens Planning Association