A federal court allowed the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) to intervene in Sable Offshore Corp.’s lawsuit against Santa Barbara County over the transfer of permits for its oil pipeline and offshore platforms. The permits are a key step in restarting the Santa Ynez Unit, which has been shut since the 2015 Refugio oil spill.
In the lawsuit filed May 8, 2025, Sable alleges that the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors violated both Chapter 25B of the Santa Barbara County Code and the U.S. and California constitutions in not approving the transfer of permits from ExxonMobil to Sable. Sable asked the court to uphold the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission's original vote of approval.
In October 2024, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted 3-1 to approve the transfer of the permits. After an appeal from environmental groups, the decision was sent to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, which deadlocked in a 2-2 vote on the transfer.
The court noted that the purpose of Chapter 25B is to “protect public health and safety, and safeguard the natural resources and environment” of Santa Barbara County. It does this by “ensuring that safe operation, adequate financial responsibility, and compliance with all applicable county laws and permits are maintained during and after all changes of owner, operator or guarantor of certain oil and gas facilities.”
The court noted that, while Sable has argued that this action “has no connection to the environment and simply involves the transfer of permits from one oil company to another,” the code “does not merely provide for the transfer of FDPs, it creates an administrative process designed to bar the transfer of FDPs to a transferee that would place the environment at risk.”
The court stated that the EDC has “a well-recognized interest in the conservation, use, and enjoyment of the land related to this action…”