The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to deny the transfer of operating permits from ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore Corp. that cover the Santa Ynez Unit, a gas plant, and the Las Flores Pipelines. The Supervisors voted 4-1 to prepare written findings to support the decision and will have a final vote on December 16, 2025. The transfer of permits is a key step in restarting the Santa Ynez Unit, which has been shut since the 2015 Refugio oil spill.
Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, who voted in favor of the transfer in February, voted to oppose it. Lavagnino said “the landscape has changed dramatically since February,” according to Noozhawk. He pointed to California Coastal Commission’s $18 million fine against Sable in April for refusing to comply with its orders to stop work on the pipelines, the company’s indictment on 21 criminal charges in September for discharging pollutants into local creeks and waterways, and recent allegations that the company staff leaked inside information to investors.
“Sable’s management actions have reeked of desperation, and with desperation comes poor decisionmaking,” Lavagnino said, according to Politico. “Without spilling a single drop of oil, Sable has managed to push back the reputation of the industry 20 years.”
In October 2024, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted 3-1 to approve the transfer of the permits. Appeals from the Environmental Defense Center and Center for Biological Diversity sent the decision to the Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors then deadlocked in a 2-2 vote in February 2025. The tie vote led to no action on the permit transfer. Sable then sued Santa Barbara County in May over the issue, and a federal judge ordered the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to hold on public hearing on the matter.
Santa Barbara County is the only California county that requires approval from the Board of Supervisors for permit transfers.
Sable could still produce oil in its federal leases. In September, Sable requested federal approval to use an offshore storage and treating (OS&T) vessel and shuttle tankers to ship crude oil produced on federal leases from the Santa Ynez Unit.