The state of California has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over an order demanding that Sable Offshore Corporation restart its oil pipelines in the state. Earlier this month, the Trump administration invoked the Defense Production Act to order an oil company to restart operations in California. By directing Sable Offshore Corp. to restore its operations of the Santa Ynez Unit and Santa Ynez Pipeline System, potential supply disruptions due to California policies can be mitigated.
The Santa Ynez Unit and Pipeline System were shut down in 2015 after an oil spill.
According to the lawsuit, the “stunning usurpation of California’s police powers, and the powers of the state and federal courts, should be struck down swiftly and certainly.” The filing notes that the pipeline operator has made repairs to the line and sought to restart it, a move that falls “within the jurisdiction of at least eight state agencies with regulatory authority over the pipelines and related facilities, or whose property the pipelines cross.” Such requests have been under examination “consistent with the specific safety and legal requirements under their respective statutes.”
The filing notes that while Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the lines are “necessary and appropriate to promote the national defense,” and “maximize[s] domestic energy supplies,” California believes the order is designed for profit.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement, “California has seen first-hand the devastating environmental and public health impacts of these pipelines rupturing, and there are court-ordered legal requirements in place to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.” He added that “instead of following the law, the Trump Administration and an increasingly desperate Sable are attempting to ride roughshod over state authority and judicial independence — all so that Sable can profit. Protecting California’s rights, coastlines, and communities is our guiding light. We won’t let this outrageous federal overreach go without a fight.”
