Hundreds of individuals from inside and outside SLO County gathered for a two-day Planning Commission hearing on a proposed rail extension project by the Phillips 66 oil company.
The project, which would allow the company to transport crude oil by train to its Santa Maria Refinery on the Nipomo Mesa, drew heavy criticism from local residents and activists. Protestors flooded the SLO County headquarters in downtown SLO to speak against the project’s approval during the two-day hearing, which took place Feb. 4 and Feb. 5.
“Let’s face it, oil trains are dinosaurs,” Gabby Davis, a Paso Robles High School student, told the commissioners. “And dinosaurs belong in a museum.”
Davis was one of an estimated 390 people who signed up to publicly comment on the project before the commission. The attending crowd was so large that the county opened two overflow seating areas, including one at the nearby Fremont movie theater.
The project, initially proposed by Phillips 66 in 2013, has been a hot-button issue in the community. In early February, SLO County Planning Department staff recommended that the commission deny the project. In a lengthy report, staff asserted that approval of the project would create significant impacts on air quality and the environment. The report also addressed oft-cited concerns that trains carrying crude oil to the refinery could derail, causing spills, fires, and explosions.
The vast majority of those who participated in the public comment on the project asked the commissioners to side with the SLO County Planning Department staff’s recommendation to deny the rail spur. Commenters included not only residents and local officials from cities in SLO County, but individuals and representatives from Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, San Jose, Oxnard, and Santa Barbara.
Those encouraging the commission to deny the project included two Santa Barbara County officials currently seeking higher office. Santa Barbara County 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal spoke at a large protest rally against the project that took place across the street from the commission’s hearing. Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider also attended the rally and spoke to the commission, noting that even a single oil train derailment could be disastrous for her city.
“The rail corridor runs through the heart of our city,” Schneider said.
Both Carbajal and Schneider are vying to run as the Democratic candidate for outgoing U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capp’s 24th District seat in November.
Even after two days of testimony, the commission did not make a decision on the project. The hearing was continued to Feb. 25. While staff recommend the rail spur extension be denied, representatives of Phillips 66 sought to make a last-minute change to the project, suggesting they reduce the number of oil trains coming in from five a week to three, should the project be approved.
“That is now our proposed project,” Jocelyn Thompson, an attorney for Phillips 66, told the commission.
Once the commission rules on the project, its decision can be appealed to the SLO County Board of Supervisors.
This article appears in Feb 11-18, 2016.