Members of the Chumash community on Friday rallied against Sable Offshore Corp.’s restart of oil production and said the plan threatens the environment and Chumash cultural sites.
About 60 people gathered near the entrance to Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara to share their experiences, read poems and sing songs.
Maura Sullivan, a local Chumash organizer, said the press conference was intended to give people in her community a chance to speak about their experiences related to the 2015 Refugio oil spill and share concerns about the Sable restart.
“I think, as Chumash people, we are often overlooked in this modern world,” Sullivan told Noozhawk, “and for us, this press conference is a way for us to just gather and have our voices heard.”
Sable announced on March 16 that it had restarted oil production at Platform Harmony off the Gaviota Coast, after President Donald Trump ordered the restart of the Santa Ynez offshore oil platform and pipeline.
One of the Sable pipelines is the same one that ruptured in 2015 and caused the Refugio oil spill. That rupture spilled 120,000 gallons of oil onto the coast and into the ocean.
“In 2015, I walked the oil spill with my mother and my auntie Mia. We wrapped our shoes in plastic bags, and we donned hard hats, and we walked with the crews to clean as much oil as we could,” Sullivan said to the crowd. “And nine years later, I do not want to do that again.”
Mia Lopez, chair of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, criticized the restart of the pipeline. She said she believes the pipeline is too old to be safely used and that repairs done by Sable are not enough to prevent another spill.
“We’re just waiting,” Lopez told the crowd. “It’s not an ‘if there’s a spill.’ It’s a ‘when there is a spill.’”
Lopez said California and local communities will be responsible for cleaning up the majority of the mess during another oil spill.
Lopez added that an oil spill will not just affect the environment but also the community, children and families. She said it would also affect people’s ability to enjoy the Santa Barbara coastline.
“This is unacceptable for other people to determine our lands, our homes, as dispensable. As OK collateral,” Lopez said.
The last speaker was Amber Bassett Pagaling, who sang an original song and recited a poem. Dancers closed out the gathering with a traditional dance performance for the crowd.