Sentinel Oil Trucking Project: Appeal of the Director’s Decision to Allow Oil Tankers for 50 Years

To SB County Planning Commission −

Citizens Planning Association submitted a comment letter for the draft ND and we read staff’s responses. We are here today to voice full support of the SBCAN appeal of the Sentinel Peak Oil Trucking proposal and to ask the Planning Commission to deny this over-the-counter director’s approval, an approval made without an adequate environmental review. CPA would add the process reflects limited transparency and public input and violates many existing county policies. This is not just a truck rack, as named. This is a significant and dangerous project which overturns the County promises made to the communities in the 1980’s that there never would be trucking of oil from this plant. The pipeline infrastructure was in place for a reason. No trucking for the safety of VV, MH, and MO.

CPA found the MND totally inadequate. Our initial comments brought up numerous issues which we hope commissioners already read. but today we will focus on the almost non-existent review of transportation of hazardous materials through residential areas and the possibility of catastrophic upsets, namely tanker explosions. in a high fire area near hundreds of local homes.

Policy requires 500 ft. clearance in case of an upset. New development at Summit View has homes within 50 ft. of the Harris Grade Rd. Staff claims the surrounding sound wall will protect the homes from the impacts of an explosion. I would argue not. Trucking in a construction zones where 3 new intersectiions will be created. The maps for Burton Ranch include three new access roads off Harris Grade Road. No such maps appear in the MND. A complete EIR would have included maps of all the housing on the truck route.

New Low income housing will be built right along Hwy 1 near Vandenberg Village so there could be a conflict in that area also. Burton Ranch development on Harris Grade Road also shows proximity to the trucking route which would endanger people living in these new homes. Not to mention the mix of years of construction trucks, etc. starting in 2015.

Currently, there is traffic congestion during school and commuting hours at the ‘Wye’. Vehicles filled with school children line up and sit for 2 traffic lights after school (approx. 2-3 PM). Now the proposed trucks filled with 1600 barrels of oil will sit in this traffic also. No traffic study mentions these possibilities. The MND does nothing to restrict tinkering in foggy circumstances or when there are higher volumes of school traffic. A full EIR would have studied all these possibilities.

Shockingly, the MND has 3 paragraphs of transportation route review to cover the 120 mile route for the trucks. The traffic study was done two years ago and has an outdated stamp. Surely, a route of this extent should have merited more than three paragraphs. An EIR would have demanded more.

The Fire Risk seems to have gotten short shrift. There was a brushfire on the oil property only a few months ago. This should be included in the report. Also, there is a history of fire/evacuation in the BMER area and that history should have been considered. Residents are very aware of the high fire risk of the chaparral.

Harris Grade Road has a vehicle weight restriction. It is also a dangerous road sometimes used as a informal drag strip. Historically street racing from downtown to the pass. Any high school driver is aware of this ‘tradition’ There have been many accidents over the years but again, there is no accident report to reflect the fatalities.

LOG-P was never to have trucking. The plant was to be shut down in 2000. The County reneged on this promise and changed the purpose of the plant but even then, permitted only 3 trucks per week to haul away the sludge by-product from separation. Now 39 years later, the County doesn’t tell the community and goes ahead to allow oil tankering.

The truck route also now mentions “No alternative route through our neighborhoods.”. This condition was added only after our comment letters.

Lastly, there is no mention of the excessive number of fatal accidents on Highway 1 between the Wye and VSFB. Five people were killed last year alone in three separate accidents, most due to speeding and fog. Intersection at Sta Lucia Canyon Road on Caltrans priority list for redesign but No solution so far. (VVA letter).

In closing, please support the appeal and deny this dangerous project. I cannot remember any project being approved for this length of timedeny it today.

Marell Brooks, President
Citizens Planning Association