Renowned actresses Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jane Fonda joined forces with hundreds of concerned citizens and environmentalists outside the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) on Thursday, to voice their strong opposition against Sable Offshore Corp.’s plans to resume oil drilling operations in Santa Barbara County.
The peaceful protest preceded a town hall meeting, held at La Cumbre Jr. High School in Santa Barbara, aimed at discussing the future of these operations.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a Montecito resident, did not mince words when expressing her disdain for the proposed project. “I am here because I’m a resident of Santa Barbara County and I can smell a rat. And this project is a rat,” declared the actress.
Equally impassioned, Jane Fonda highlighted the broader implications of resuming the pipeline operations. “It’s important for us to raise our voices for Santa Barbara, for the coastline, but also for the climate crisis. We’re not supposed to still be drilling for oil and putting it through pipes and sending it places. That’s supposed to be phasing out. And so I’m here to raise my voice, and I’ll be back,” Fonda stated, underlining the urgency of transitioning to more sustainable energy sources.
The ensuing town hall meeting saw a turnout of over 500 individuals, including activists, Sable workers, state agency representatives, and concerned citizens, all eager to delve into the details of Sable Offshore’s plan and its potential impacts.
Louis-Dreyfus reiterated her concerns, questioning the integrity of Sable Offshore’s safety assurances. “Sable says, trust us. Trust us. It’s so safe. Well, if it’s so safe, they should have no problem with the state doing a full environmental review of the project, right? And they should have no problem showing their plans to the public. So we can weigh in. Right? They have done neither,” she argued, advocating for transparency and thorough environmental review.
Multiple reports state the majority of Sable workers left the auditorium during Louis-Dreyfus’ speech.
Sable Offshore has continuously defended its proposal, asserting that the repair and reinstatement of the pipeline, which was central to the disastrous 2015 Refugio Oil Spill due to severe corrosion and criminal negligence by its former owner, Plains All American Pipeline, would meet the highest safety standards and effectively restore it to “as new” condition.
The company, however, faces significant regulatory and legal hurdles, including unresolved violations and a pending lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity challenging its lease extensions for offshore platforms in federal waters.
Amid these contentious developments, the California Coastal Commission has engaged in legal battles with Sable Offshore, issuing two cease-and-desist orders related to unpermitted construction activities along the coastal zone.
The meeting, convened by State Senator Monique Limón and Assemblymember Gregg Hart, provided a platform for state officials and legislation bodies to clarify their positions and intended actions regarding the regulating of Sable Offshore’s operations. However, despite the charged atmosphere and forthright discussions, the path forward remains mired in uncertainty, with the potential for further legal and environmental challenges looming large.
“Our community is no stranger to the devastating impact of oil spills. We saw it in 1969 when approximately 3 million gallons of oil spewed into our oceans and again in 2015 when this very same pipeline ruptured, impacting the Central Coast as far south as Manhattan Beach,” said Limón. “This public meeting was an important opportunity for the community to express their concerns and have state agencies answer their questions. I am grateful that we were able to have these agencies present and provide information to our community.”
“From the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill to the 2015 Plains All-American Pipeline Spill — which involved the same pipelines Sable is looking to repair — our community has experienced the devastating impacts of oil spills on our coastline. This meeting offered the community an opportunity to ask questions and learn about their options for public participation as state regulatory agencies consider this proposal,” said Hart.
“We filled our courtyard with passionate and concerned community members, business leaders, activists, and youth speaking out against Sable’s restart of the same oil pipeline that ruptured 10 years ago on the Gaviota Coast causing one of the largest spills in California history… This press conference was followed by a town hall with the state agencies who have authority over the oil pipeline and moderated by Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of California Natural Resources Agency. We urge the state to take swift action to protect our coast and communities from another disastrous oil spill,” said EDC in a statement.
As the community of Santa Barbara stands at a crossroads, the ongoing debate around Sable Offshore’s operations underscores a broader, critical dialogue on the future of energy production, environmental preservation, and climate action, with the next steps still to unfold.
View this post on Instagram
Related Articles
https://www.edhat.com/news/rep-carbajal-sen-schiff-push-for-proper-environmental-review-and-a-public-process-as-the-state-considers-the-resumption-of-oil-drilling-operations-off-the-gaviota-coast/
https://www.edhat.com/news/santa-barbara-supervisors-reach-stalemate-on-sable-pipeline-permit-amid-public-outcry/
https://www.edhat.com/news/sable-entangles-with-california-coastal-commission-in-legal-dispute-over-pipeline-repairs/
Also Read
- Downtown Santa Barbara to Get Colorful Street Mural, Traffic Changes Through April 24
- 5.7 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Nevada With Tremors Felt Across Northern California
- Montecito Estate Once Owned By Architect A. Eugene Kohn Lists for Nearly Four Times Its Last Sale Price
- Plenty On Bell Enters New Chapter as Rowles Family Takes Over Ownership After Legal Dispute
- Large Apartment Community With 340 Units Opens for Leasing in Santa Maria
We prefer our oil from dictator led countries with zero environmental regulations transported halfway across the globe on carbon dioxide belching whale killing tankers.
Another bad faith argument.
GOO!
Wonderful turnout. So grateful to Jane Fonda and Julia Louis- Dreyfus for speaking out! Very impactful!
Not in my backyard
DAVID – exactly! No one should be ok with oil operations in their backyard. Glad you agree.
NIMBY elitists are a sad joke. Look at Dryfus & Fonda’s carbon footprint as they fly around the world in private jets lecturing us about energy consumption.
Another bad faith argument.
You do not seem to have a clear understanding of what a bad faith argument is.
Try to be honest and use facts.
Well, you don’t.
I wonder how all of the politicians and entertainers got to the town hall to lead their protests. Did they walk? Ride a horse? Even if they rode a bicycle the tires and lubricants were made from oil. And how did all of those chanting and waving signs travel there as well.
Oil is needed for much more than gasoline in cars. Think pharmaceuticals, plastics, even make up. Our modern society is very dependent on oil for much of our modern conveniences. Our society would not be where we are today without it. These one-issue protests are short sighted at best.
The same old useless arguments from the carbon apologists, clinging to the past, no matter how detrimental.
Another bad faith argument.
Sable staff walking out when Julia Louis-Dreyfus questioned their transparency is the perfect metaphor for the situation. It’s obvious why Sable does not want a full environmental review; their history here has proven that. That red flag in itself speaks volumes.
Those goons had no business being there in the first place. They aren’t concerned about the validity, legality, or environmental consequences of Sable’s operation … quite the opposite.
From the Independent article:
“Sable Offshore management, employees, contractors, labor, and supporters showed up today in good faith to participate in a town hall meeting where only government officials were on the agenda to present,” said Steve Rusch, Sable’s vice president of environmental and governmental affairs, in a statement. “Project opponents forced the moderators to give them dedicated time to present biased information and smear the project. The opponents’ self-serving fundraiser and rally was not an appropriate use of public resources.”
“Not one word was said about the working people,” a Sable employee and union member told the Independent after he walked out. “This is my home, too, and I’m going to fight, too…. Without this, we’re just unemployed.”
But this is the arch-opposite of good faith. These people have a vested interest … as such, they couldn’t care a whit about the law, environmental issues, or anything else other than their paycheck. What a selfish sociopathic git this Sable employee is.
Gotta go with Garfish on this one. I live in Gaviota, RIGHT over the pipeline, and I am for Sable. We were badly affected by the 2015 spill. People were on our ranch and at the beach HYSTERICAL that it was ruined FOREVER!! It was cleaned up in a few months and a year later looked fabulous. I think it is terribly selfish and hypocritical to live in this magical place AND USE OIL (it is in EVERYTHING) but not want to share our God given natural resources. It cost MILLIONS for that clean up let alone the lawsuits. They DO NOT want a spill. I suppose Julia and Jane got on their private jets to get here to lecture us…
Nonsense arguments from someone who thinks that if a problem isn’t easily visible, it isn’t a problem, and has no lasting effects.
Why give those plundering plutocrats a chance to fool you for a third time? They don’t care about anything but immediate profit.