The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved the first phase of an oil and gas phaseout that could eventually ban local operations.

On Wednesday, the commission voted to approve the phaseout and move it to the Board of Supervisors in a 3-2 vote. Commissioners Roy Reed and Vincent Martinez voted against the plan.

The proposal before the commission was to prohibit new onshore drilling throughout the county, including drilling new wells, reactivating abandoned wells, and denying applications for new oil or gas wells.

Due to the complexity of the plan, county staff decided to split the phaseout into two parts. Phase one could take place over six months once approved.

The second stage of the plan will be to ban active oil wells, which could take years as the county goes through an amortization study that would allow operators to recoup the full cost of their wells before they are shut down.

The Board of Supervisors originally approved the phaseout in October through a 3-2 vote. The commission was tasked with reviewing the plan and adding amendments before it was sent back to the board for final approval.

One issue Reed, who represents District Four, pointed out was that the proposal was not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act. Reed called the absence of a CEQA review a “glaring omission.”

Reed argued that the proposal counts as a project since it will affect the landscape.

He also argued that there could be a larger impact on other communities. He stated that the county just passed its Environmental Justice Element, which tries to protect disadvantaged communities affected by climate change and pollution.

“We ban our local production, it just shifts production to places with weaker protections and maybe worse environmental standards, and produces disproportionate harm to disadvantaged communities elsewhere,” Reed said. “We need to look into all of these things.

Reed ended his comments by saying he could not support the current version of the plan.

Commissioner Kate Ford from the Second District expressed support for the project. Ford, who said she was in high school during the 1969 oil spill, argued that many people in the community are worried about the long-term damage to the environment.

“I believe this is a well-crafted ordinance meeting the direction of the board … and it is clear and powerful,” Ford said. “It’s about responsibility. Responsibility to our residents, our environment and the future generations.”

Public Comment

During public comment, residents shared split opinions on the phaseout.

Members of the oil and gas industry opposed the measure and indicated they would challenge the decision in court if it moved further.

Edward Hazard, the president of the California branch of the National Association of Royalty Owners, asked the commission to require a CEQA review. Hazard argued that removing oil and gas operators would lead to natural oil building up and seeping into the environment.

Hazard also questioned AB 3233, the state law that gives local governments more authority to limit oil and gas production.

“I would ask that you step back and allow us time to meet with county counsel, to meet with staff, and perhaps each of you to discuss our position,” Hazard said. “And why we believe we have the legal right to sue … and why we believe that AB 3233 is unconstitutional and (for) the CEQA issue.”

Some supporters of the ban argued that the commission had the authority to approve the ban, while others stressed the long-term effects of oil and gas production.

Janet Blevins, a Lompoc resident, said that oil companies knew about the effects of climate change and could have done more to educate the public.

Blevins said that even though Santa Barbara County has seen some effects of climate change, it could get worse.

“The floods, the fires, we’ve seen a little of that, but other places have seen way more,” Blevins told the commission. “Please do the right thing and vote for this restriction.”