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A crew cleans oil from a spill at Refugio State Beach on May 20, 2015 north of Goleta, California.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
'Dark Day for California' as Oil Flows Through Pipeline Behind Major Spill After Trump War Order
One conservation campaigner said that "the cynical misuse of a national security law" for the oil company that owns the system and "has repeatedly broken the law is a shocking development, even from this administration."
Mar 16, 2026
As Sable Offshore Corp. on Monday confirmed that oil is flowing again thanks to a war-related order from President Donald Trump, the Center for Biological Diversity renewed warnings about reviving a pipeline that "caused one of California's largest oil spills on the Santa Barbara coast" over a decade ago.
"I'm distressed and saddened that California's coast now faces the threat of another oil disaster from this unsafe pipeline," said Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner at the center, a US nonprofit focused on conservation, in a statement.
"For the sake of the incredible Pacific Ocean and all of its wildlife, the community has worked so hard to make sure we'd never see oil flowing through this defective pipeline again," noted Bradshaw, whose group is involved in some related lawsuits.
Despite the various legal battles, with oil prices surging due to Trump's unlawful war on Iran, the president on Friday signed an executive order delegating certain authorities under the Defense Production Act to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who subsequently told Sable to restore operations of the Santa Ynez unit and pipeline system.
The unit has been shut down since May 2015, when the pipeline ruptured and spilled about 450,000 gallons of oil around Refugio State Beach, killing local animals and impacting beaches and fisheries. A federal investigation found that the pipeline failed due to corrosion. Still, Sable bought the unit from ExxonMobil in 2024, and has been trying to resume operations.
Last April, the Center for Biological Diversity and Wishtoyo Foundation sued the California Office of the State Fire Marshal for waiving safety rules for the pipeline. Julie Teel Simmonds, a senior attorney at the center, said at the time that "it is inexcusable to waive safety standards for an old, fatally flawed pipeline system that already failed catastrophically once."
"Exempting this pipeline from basic corrosion prevention requirements is a mindbogglingly shortsighted move that puts our incredible coastline at risk of yet another massive spill," the lawyer continued. "The State Fire Marshal pushed out these waivers without even taking a hard look at all the environmental and public safety risks, and our marine wildlife and coastal communities could wind up once again covered in toxic crude."
Just months later, in December, "the Trump administration moved to seize control of the pipeline system from the State Fire Marshal and issued Sable an emergency special permit that enables a restart despite the pipelines' design defects," the center noted Monday.
Then, under the cover of war, the president—who returned to office with help from Big Oil's campaign cash and promised to "drill, baby, drill"—and Wright took their latest steps to revive the flawed pipeline.
Sable said in a Monday statement that it "immediately complied" with the Trump administration's new orders and on Saturday began transporting oil produced at the unit through the pipeline system from Las Flores Canyon to Pentland Station. The company is planning for sales by April 1 at an expected gross oil rate of 50,000 barrels per day.
"This is a dark day for California, and I urge state officials to keep standing up to Trump's bullying," Bradshaw said Monday. "We'll keep fighting as hard as we can to protect Santa Barbara's coast and end offshore drilling in the state once and for all."
"The cynical misuse of a national security law for the benefit [of] an oil company that has repeatedly broken the law is a shocking development, even from this administration," added Bradshaw. "The courts shouldn't put up with this brazen abuse of power."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom—one of several Democrats expected to run for president in 2028—joined the center in criticizing the resumption and has also vowed to fight back.
"California will not stand by while the Trump administration attempts to sacrifice our coastal communities, our environment, and our $51 billion coastal economy," he said. "The Trump administration and Sable are defying multiple court orders, and we will see them back in court."
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As Sable Offshore Corp. on Monday confirmed that oil is flowing again thanks to a war-related order from President Donald Trump, the Center for Biological Diversity renewed warnings about reviving a pipeline that "caused one of California's largest oil spills on the Santa Barbara coast" over a decade ago.
"I'm distressed and saddened that California's coast now faces the threat of another oil disaster from this unsafe pipeline," said Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner at the center, a US nonprofit focused on conservation, in a statement.
"For the sake of the incredible Pacific Ocean and all of its wildlife, the community has worked so hard to make sure we'd never see oil flowing through this defective pipeline again," noted Bradshaw, whose group is involved in some related lawsuits.
Despite the various legal battles, with oil prices surging due to Trump's unlawful war on Iran, the president on Friday signed an executive order delegating certain authorities under the Defense Production Act to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who subsequently told Sable to restore operations of the Santa Ynez unit and pipeline system.
The unit has been shut down since May 2015, when the pipeline ruptured and spilled about 450,000 gallons of oil around Refugio State Beach, killing local animals and impacting beaches and fisheries. A federal investigation found that the pipeline failed due to corrosion. Still, Sable bought the unit from ExxonMobil in 2024, and has been trying to resume operations.
Last April, the Center for Biological Diversity and Wishtoyo Foundation sued the California Office of the State Fire Marshal for waiving safety rules for the pipeline. Julie Teel Simmonds, a senior attorney at the center, said at the time that "it is inexcusable to waive safety standards for an old, fatally flawed pipeline system that already failed catastrophically once."
"Exempting this pipeline from basic corrosion prevention requirements is a mindbogglingly shortsighted move that puts our incredible coastline at risk of yet another massive spill," the lawyer continued. "The State Fire Marshal pushed out these waivers without even taking a hard look at all the environmental and public safety risks, and our marine wildlife and coastal communities could wind up once again covered in toxic crude."
Just months later, in December, "the Trump administration moved to seize control of the pipeline system from the State Fire Marshal and issued Sable an emergency special permit that enables a restart despite the pipelines' design defects," the center noted Monday.
Then, under the cover of war, the president—who returned to office with help from Big Oil's campaign cash and promised to "drill, baby, drill"—and Wright took their latest steps to revive the flawed pipeline.
Sable said in a Monday statement that it "immediately complied" with the Trump administration's new orders and on Saturday began transporting oil produced at the unit through the pipeline system from Las Flores Canyon to Pentland Station. The company is planning for sales by April 1 at an expected gross oil rate of 50,000 barrels per day.
"This is a dark day for California, and I urge state officials to keep standing up to Trump's bullying," Bradshaw said Monday. "We'll keep fighting as hard as we can to protect Santa Barbara's coast and end offshore drilling in the state once and for all."
"The cynical misuse of a national security law for the benefit [of] an oil company that has repeatedly broken the law is a shocking development, even from this administration," added Bradshaw. "The courts shouldn't put up with this brazen abuse of power."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom—one of several Democrats expected to run for president in 2028—joined the center in criticizing the resumption and has also vowed to fight back.
"California will not stand by while the Trump administration attempts to sacrifice our coastal communities, our environment, and our $51 billion coastal economy," he said. "The Trump administration and Sable are defying multiple court orders, and we will see them back in court."
As Sable Offshore Corp. on Monday confirmed that oil is flowing again thanks to a war-related order from President Donald Trump, the Center for Biological Diversity renewed warnings about reviving a pipeline that "caused one of California's largest oil spills on the Santa Barbara coast" over a decade ago.
"I'm distressed and saddened that California's coast now faces the threat of another oil disaster from this unsafe pipeline," said Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner at the center, a US nonprofit focused on conservation, in a statement.
"For the sake of the incredible Pacific Ocean and all of its wildlife, the community has worked so hard to make sure we'd never see oil flowing through this defective pipeline again," noted Bradshaw, whose group is involved in some related lawsuits.
Despite the various legal battles, with oil prices surging due to Trump's unlawful war on Iran, the president on Friday signed an executive order delegating certain authorities under the Defense Production Act to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who subsequently told Sable to restore operations of the Santa Ynez unit and pipeline system.
The unit has been shut down since May 2015, when the pipeline ruptured and spilled about 450,000 gallons of oil around Refugio State Beach, killing local animals and impacting beaches and fisheries. A federal investigation found that the pipeline failed due to corrosion. Still, Sable bought the unit from ExxonMobil in 2024, and has been trying to resume operations.
Last April, the Center for Biological Diversity and Wishtoyo Foundation sued the California Office of the State Fire Marshal for waiving safety rules for the pipeline. Julie Teel Simmonds, a senior attorney at the center, said at the time that "it is inexcusable to waive safety standards for an old, fatally flawed pipeline system that already failed catastrophically once."
"Exempting this pipeline from basic corrosion prevention requirements is a mindbogglingly shortsighted move that puts our incredible coastline at risk of yet another massive spill," the lawyer continued. "The State Fire Marshal pushed out these waivers without even taking a hard look at all the environmental and public safety risks, and our marine wildlife and coastal communities could wind up once again covered in toxic crude."
Just months later, in December, "the Trump administration moved to seize control of the pipeline system from the State Fire Marshal and issued Sable an emergency special permit that enables a restart despite the pipelines' design defects," the center noted Monday.
Then, under the cover of war, the president—who returned to office with help from Big Oil's campaign cash and promised to "drill, baby, drill"—and Wright took their latest steps to revive the flawed pipeline.
Sable said in a Monday statement that it "immediately complied" with the Trump administration's new orders and on Saturday began transporting oil produced at the unit through the pipeline system from Las Flores Canyon to Pentland Station. The company is planning for sales by April 1 at an expected gross oil rate of 50,000 barrels per day.
"This is a dark day for California, and I urge state officials to keep standing up to Trump's bullying," Bradshaw said Monday. "We'll keep fighting as hard as we can to protect Santa Barbara's coast and end offshore drilling in the state once and for all."
"The cynical misuse of a national security law for the benefit [of] an oil company that has repeatedly broken the law is a shocking development, even from this administration," added Bradshaw. "The courts shouldn't put up with this brazen abuse of power."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom—one of several Democrats expected to run for president in 2028—joined the center in criticizing the resumption and has also vowed to fight back.
"California will not stand by while the Trump administration attempts to sacrifice our coastal communities, our environment, and our $51 billion coastal economy," he said. "The Trump administration and Sable are defying multiple court orders, and we will see them back in court."
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