Posted on April 14, 2025
Fine to be Reduced to $15 Million if Sable Applies for Permits
The California Coastal Commission voted on Thursday, April 10, to impose a significant financial penalty on Sable Offshore. The oil company faces a fine exceeding $18 million, a substantial increase from the nearly $15 million originally suggested by commission staff.
This decision followed exhaustive deliberations that lasted nearly five hours, encompassing an enforcement report and a public comment period.
The commission also unanimously approved another cease-and-desist order targeting Sable Offshore for allegedly conducting unpermitted construction activities related to oil pipeline work along the Gaviota Coast. Additionally, an environmental restoration order was issued to mitigate any damages caused by these activities.
While this is one of the largest fines the Coastal Commission has ever ordered, there is a provision for Sable Offshore to reduce the financial impact. If the company complies fully with the cease-and-desist and environmental restoration orders and secures the necessary coastal development permits, it will be eligible for a reduction in the fine, bringing it down to the originally proposed $14,987,250.
According to a report released on March 28, Sable Offshore has been accused of performing unauthorized development on the pipeline connected to the Santa Ynez Unit’s three offshore platforms. This pipeline previously suffered from a corrosion-induced burst during the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill.
“The Coastal Commission is doing an amazing job of standing strong and holding Sable accountable for the damage this Texas company has done to California’s coast and wildlife,” said Brady Bradshaw, oceans campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The fragile coastal ecosystem can’t handle much disruption before it suffers lasting harm and another major oil spill would be disastrous. The commission is the only agency solely focused on protecting California’s world-famous coastline, and we really appreciate the integrity it’s showing in upholding this critical mission.”
“On behalf of our clients and the broader community, we applaud the Coastal Commission’s actions to hold Sable accountable for its unpermitted work and the significant harm it has caused to habitats, species, and waters on the Central Coast,” said Alex Katz, Executive Director of Environmental Defense Center, which represents Get Oil Out!, the Santa Barbara County Action Network, the Sierra Club, and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper in this case. “Sable’s reprehensible conduct not only warrants the $18 million fine and the other orders — it should be disqualifying for any company, especially one that wants to operate a highly dangerous project like this. After this behavior, how can we trust this company to operate responsibly, safely, or in compliance with any regulations or laws? California can’t afford another disaster on our coast. It’s time to end this ill-conceived project and permanently decommission this failed pipeline before it causes more harm.”
Sable Offshore, however, has consistently asserted that their actions are covered under permits issued in 1988 to the former owners of the pipeline, arguing that their work constitutes repairs, not new development.
“Our letter to the Coastal Commission reiterates the repair and maintenance work done to ensure the safe condition of the Santa Ynez Unit and onshore pipelines was fully authorized by coastal development permits previously approved by the California Coastal Commission and Santa Barbara County. Work on these existing facilities is substantially identical to work that has taken place here for the past 30 years, without a need for new Coastal Act authorizations. Commission staff continues to exaggerate the project’s impacts, which were de minimis thanks to Sable’s implementation of best management practices,” said Steve Rusch, Sable Vice President of Environmental and Governmental Affairs, in a April 5 statement.
Additionally, Santa Barbara County reviewed the information Sable submitted in 2024 and confirmed in a letter dated February 12, 2025, that the anomaly repair work is authorized by the pipelines’ existing coastal development permits and no new or separate Coastal Act authorization is required for Sable to perform the work.
During the meeting, members of the Coastal Commission expressed their disagreement with both Sable and Santa Barbara County, stating the letter is a refusal to enforce the Coastal Act.
The Coastal Commission has issued three cease-and-desist orders against the company, the latest being dependent on Sable successfully applying for the necessary permits.
The standoff has led to legal action, with Sable suing the Coastal Commission for jurisdictional overreach and a case management conference scheduled for April 23 in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
Despite the ongoing legal battles, Sable has reportedly continued operations without complying with the cease-and-desist orders, refusing to halt development work in the coastal zone or apply for the requisite coastal development permits.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is aware of the enforcement issues but has not yet intervened.
There will also be another critical decision on this project on Thursday, April 17. The Central Coast Water Board, which has previously issued Sable a notice of violation for unauthorized waste discharge into waterways, may refer the matter to the California Attorney General’s office for judicial enforcement. That decision will take place at a meeting in Watsonville, CA.
