The company responsible for an oil spill near Refugio State Beach in 2015 recently announced its intent to rebuild corroded pipelines that have sat idle in the two years since the disaster.
On Aug. 16, Plains All American Pipeline said it had filed permit applications with Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties to replace the pipeline responsible for dumping 120,000 gallons of black crude onto beaches and into the Pacific Ocean, causing millions of dollars in property damage, killing hundreds of animals, and ultimately forcing the closure of an offshore oil platform.
Company officials say the move is an important early step in what is expected to be a multi-year process.
“Restoring crude oil transportation service to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Kern counties will re-establish a critical link in the region’s energy infrastructure, reducing the state’s reliance on crude oil produced outside California,” Plains All American COO Willie Chiang said in a statement announcing the permit submissions.
The company is also proposing a new pump station between the existing stations at Sisquoc and Pentland. Stakeholder Relations Manager Karen Rugaard said a third project permit would be submitted to Kern County in the coming weeks.
The counties have 30 days to review the applications. According to Rugaard, the entire permitting process is expected to take two years and involve county, state, and federal governments. She said construction would most likely take an additional 12 to 18 months. *
The project will require an environmental impact report (EIR). The public will then have an opportunity to participate in the scoping process to identify issues for study.
In a phone interview with the Sun, Rugaard touted the safety features of the proposed pipelines.
She said the lines would have 49 shut-off valves (up from 19) and to help curb corrosion, the lines would also have a cathodic protection system and uninsulated steel.
One of the reported causes of the original pipeline’s rupture was related to corrosion, according to a report by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
The pipelines would be monitored by supervisory control and data acquisition systems to monitor flows and pressures.
Additionally, the wall on the replacement line would be about 10 percent thicker than the existing pipeline along Highway 101.
Santa Barbara County 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann noted that the new safety measures along with proper government regulation were essential for the project to move forward.
“We fully expect that Plains All American will incorporate state-of-the-art safety features and practices into the design and operation of the new pipeline and that the county will maintain a significant role in working with the state fire marshal, the regulatory agency charged with overseeing intrastate oil pipelines, to assure the integrity of this proposed project,” she said in a emailed statement.
Local environmental groups have been relatively silent since the announcement: The Environmental Defense Center and Santa Barbara County Action Network both declined to comment for this story, citing limited information on the proposed project.
One group, Food and Water Watch, however, blasted the project.
“It’s time for Santa Barbara County and California to phase out dangerous oil drilling operations and pipelines,” Alena Simon, the organization’s Santa Barbara County organizer, said in a statement. “When it comes to pipelines and oil drilling, it’s not a matter of if there will be a spill, but rather when the next spill will occur.”
The existing pipelines run from the Las Flores pump station along the coast to the Gaviota pump station. They then shift north through Santa Barbara County to Sisquoc. From there, the lines continue along the Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo county line and end at the existing Pentland Delivery Point in Kern County.
The proposed route for the replacement lines is virtually identical to the former path, with the exception of an unspecified area around Buellton.
“Since original construction of the line about 30 years ago, the city grew up around the existing route,” Rugaard said. “So we are proposing relocating the pipeline outside the city there.”
Moving the route of the pipeline could potentially create challenges for Plains All American, as the company would have to purchase easements from landowners in the line’s path.
When the Sun asked if Plains All American would consider using eminent domain to acquire the needed property, Rugaard noted the majority of the pipeline would be on land already owned by the company or approved for company use.
“We strive to reach agreements with landowners without having to resort to those procedures that are available under state law,” she said.
The company did not specify how much land would be needed for the new route or how many easement agreements would need to be reached with landowners.
According to Rugaard, project pushback could lead to Plains All American nixing the replacement plan in favor of repairing the old, damaged lines.
“We’re really focused on restoring service here, and we really view it as there are only two options for doing so, and that’s repairing or replacing,” she said. “So right now, we are focused on the alternative of replacing. If the permit process were to be delayed or ultimately unsuccessful, we would likely move forward with repair and restart option of the existing line, following the orders put forth by the federal government.”
In the meantime, Plains All American officials say they plan to keep stakeholders and other affected parties in the loop.
“We want to make sure folks know what’s coming,” Rugaard said.
Staff Writer Spencer Cole can be reached at scole@santamariasun.com.
* Editor’s note: The time bracket has been changed from a previous version of this article at the source’s request.
This article appears in Aug 24-31, 2017.