DONATE TO GOO!
We need your help now, more than ever!
We need your help now, more than ever!
GOO! is an all volunteer organization fighting the biggest oil companies in the world on a budget of less than $20,000 per year. We have been protecting the coast of California for 41 years and we could really use some donations to help us in this work.
We work for free, but our attorneys cost money, and so does just about everything else. A donation of any amount would help us keep the doors of this organization open. Thank you.
Pay online, or send a check by mail:
Post Office Box 23625
Santa Barbara, CA 93121
January 28, 2024
Dear Friend,
Numerous proposed oil development projects came and went in 2023. As usual, GOO! was busy, and will continue to be busy in 2024, on most of them.
Perhaps most importantly, ExxonMobil’s lawsuit against the County of Santa Barbara following the Board of Supervisors’ denial to truck oil from Las Flores Canyon to Santa Maria, in which GOO! and other environmental groups intervened, received a ruling in the County’s favor. The federal District Court specifically stated that the County’s denial was reasonable and supported by evidence in the record. Secondly, ExxonMobil withdrew its application for the Line 901/903 Replacement Pipeline Project after acquiring it, along with the ongoing production project, from Plains All American. Exxon/Mobil is now proposing to sell its newly acquired interest to Sable, an unknown company.
These issues, as well as the status of platform decommissioning in both state and federal waters, are described in more detail below.
Proposal to Truck Oil from the Gaviota Coast to Santa Maria
In 2017, Exxon filed an application with Santa Barbara County to construct a truck rack and transport up to 70 trucks of oil per day (10,000-12,000 barrels/day) along Highways 101 and 166 from Las Flores Canyon to Santa Maria for up to seven years. On March 8, 2022, consistent with the County Planning Commission’s recommendation, the Board of Supervisors denied this risky proposal. This success was due in great part to a substantial amount of work on the part of GOO! and its partners, Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN) and the Environmental Defense Center (EDC). On May 11, 2022, Exxon filed a lawsuit against the County in Federal court (involving both federal and state issues). As noted above, the Court ruled in favor of the County on the first phase of the lawsuit. If we also receive a positive ruling on the second phase, ExxonMobil will be unable to restart production on its platforms in the Channel, one of the key reasons that GOO! is opposing this project.
New Oil Trucking Proposals: Applications for two new oil trucking proposals have been filed with the County for different routes. One of them, Sentinel Peak, is now complete and will soon undergo environmental review. The other one, PCEC/NAH remains incomplete. GOO! will be closely monitoring the status of these applications and if they move forward, will take steps to oppose them.
Proposed Replacement Pipeline 901/903 and Existing Pipeline 901/903 Restart
Plains All American Pipeline, which filed applications to replace pipelines 901/903, recently sold its interest to ExxonMobil. As noted above, ExxonMobil has withdrawn those applications for the Replacement Pipeline in favor of pursuing the start-up of the Existing Pipeline 901/903, the same pipeline that ruptured in May of 2015, spilling more than 450,000 gallons of heavy crude onto the Gaviota Coast, damaging 1,500 acres of shoreline habitat and 2,200 acres of subtidal habitat. GOO! is convinced that this existing pipeline is so severely damaged that it cannot be reliably repaired. As such, GOO! will continue working closely with the EDC and SBCAN to oppose the restart of this badly corroded pipeline.
Decommissioning of at least Eight Platforms in Federal (7) and State (1) Waters
It is excellent news that numerous decommissioning projects continue to move forward. All of the wells on Platforms Hidalgo, Harvest and Hermosa (Point Arguello Partners) as well as Platform Grace (Chevron) in federal waters off the Gaviota Coast and Carpinteria, respectively, have been successfully plugged and abandoned (abandonment work on Platform Gail in Carpinteria is almost complete). Plugging and abandoning the wells on Platforms Hogan and Houchin (Signal Hill/Conoco Phillips) will begin soon. The plugging and abandonment process on Platform Holly’s 30 wells in State waters near Ellwood is now mostly complete. Environmental review for Platform Holly decommissioning is slated to begin in late 2024, followed by actual decommissioning. GOO! will continue to follow these efforts to ensure that significant impacts to the marine environment surrounding these platforms are avoided.
As you can see from this list, GOO! has much to do! Additionally, GOO! will continue to keep its radar attuned to all other oil development proposals that threaten our coastal environment.
Your support is critical to our fight against further oil development and our promotion of the local movement for renewable energy alternatives.
Please help us by becoming a new member or renewing your support by completing the form below and returning it with your membership/renewal payment today! Your contribution will advance our shared goal of preserving the astonishing beauty of Santa Barbara County and supporting the long overdue transition to clean energy.
Sincerely,
Michael Lyons
President