An oil platform about 10 km off the coast of central California near Point Conception. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Back in 2015, California saw one of the worst oil spills the state has ever experienced. It was a nightmare scenario that killed thousands of animals, covered beaches in black sludge and generally caused a whole lot of problems. It was caused by a burst offshore pipe, and as a result, the pipeline was shuttered. But now, Donald Trump has oil flowing through it again.
According to reports, the Trump administration allowed the pipeline to fire up again, despite the objections of California state officials. The pipelines, which are owned by a Houston-based company called Sable Offshore Corporation, run through a handful of counties in California. Sable bought the pipeline from ExxonMobile in 2024, and since then has been trying to get some use out of it, but until now, it was stymied by those pesky California regulators who are concerned about killing animals and destroying environments due to poor safety measures. The spill in 2015 is estimated to have amounted to 450,000 gallons of oil at Refugio State Beach and ravaged around 150 miles of coastline.
On Friday, however, Sable likely cracked a few bottles of champagne, becuase Donald Trump ordered its reopening whether the regulators like it or not. Since he started a war with Iran, oil is getting a little harder to come by, so Trump and the US Energy Secretary Chris Wright invoked emergency powers called the Defense Production Act, which was granted in a Cold War-era policy.
“I’m distressed and saddened that California’s coast now faces the threat of another oil disaster from this unsafe pipeline,” said Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “For the sake of the incredible Pacific ocean and all of its wildlife, the community has worked so hard to make sure we’d never see oil flowing through this defective pipeline again. This is a dark day for California and I urge state officials to keep standing up to Trump’s bullying. We’ll keep fighting as hard as we can to protect Santa Barbara’s coast and end offshore drilling in the state once and for all.”
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, “To date, Sable has still not received all necessary approvals for a restart from California state agencies, including the Coastal Commission.”
But according to the Trump administration, this is necessary, and those who oppose it don’t have Americans’ best interests in mind.
“The Trump administration remains committed to putting all Americans and their energy security first,” said Wright in a statement. “Unfortunately, some state leaders have not adhered to those same principles, with potentially disastrous consequences not just for their residents, but also our national security. Today’s order will strengthen America’s oil supply and restore a pipeline system vital to our national security and defense, ensuring that west coast military installations have the reliable energy critical to military readiness.”
