Local officials on Tuesday sided with environmental advocates in a permitting dispute against an oil company looking to restart a controversial pipeline connecting an offshore oil rig to the California coast.
What happened: The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to deny Sable Offshore Corp.’s request to take over the local permits to operate the Las Flores Pipeline System from Exxon Mobil.
Why it matters: The vote is a serious blow to Sable’s push to restart the pipeline, which it hopes to use to carry oil from its trio of platforms off the Santa Barbara coast.
Context: In February, the board tied on a vote on the permitting issue. But in November, Supervisor Steve Lavagnino changed his position, citing concerns with Sable’s decision-making in the intervening months. Last month, the board instructed its staff to prepare the language for the permit denial, setting the stage for Tuesday’s vote.
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