ExxonMobil has requested the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to begin trucking oil from Santa Barbara to other facilities but was denied. This is not the first time this trucking plan for oil has been denied. The most recent hearing was an appeal. ExxonMobil is prepared to defend their stance due to “abuse of discretion” and violations of the state and federal constitutions. ExxonMobil called for
the restoration and state of operation of the Santa Ynez Unit. The restart of this unit would require up to 24,800 oil-filled truck trips every year. This would be on Highway 101 and Route 166, deemed dangerous, and could take up to seven years or more. ExxonMobil had three offshore platforms near Santa Barbara, and all three were closed in 2015 after the Plains All American Pipeline ruptured. Considering the circumstances, the board and county thinks it is just too risky to continue any operations in regard to oil transportation. Now ExxonMobil is filing a lawsuit against the board addressing the multiple benefits that the Santa Ynez Unit provides for the community. The lawsuit addresses how the oil produced at said unit helps fuel California’s transportation sector. We will soon find out if their operations are truly incident free.
