Paddle Out to Protect Our Coast: Opposing Offshore Drilling on the 11th Anniversary of the Plains All American Oil Spill
Environmental groups, students, Tribal leaders, and others will gather on the 11th anniversary of the Plains All American Oil Spill at Refugio Beach for a community paddle out to oppose new offshore drilling in California waters and call for the halt of Sable’s oil operations on the Gaviota Coast.
WHAT: Paddle out commemorating the anniversary of one of the worst oil spills in California’s history and a call to prevent new fossil fuel projects on the California Coast.
WHEN: Sunday, May 17th
8:30 am — First-come, first-served breakfast burritos and coffee
9:00 am — Short speeches, followed by ocean recreationists forming a circle offshore
WHERE: Refugio State Beach, 10 Refugio Beach Rd, Goleta, CA 93117
WHO: Surfrider Foundation (Santa Barbara County Chapter and UCSB Student Club), Environmental Defense Center, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Sierra Club, Fearless Grandmothers, UCSB Environmental Affairs Board, Oceana, and Get Oil Out!
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
- Mia Lopez, Member of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation
- Surfrider Foundation, Zach Plopper
- Environmental Defense Center, Alex Katz
- UCSB Students from the Environmental Affairs Board and the Surfrider Foundation Student Club
- Business leaders from Patagonia and the Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast
BACKGROUND: Right now, California’s Central Coast is under threat from the Trump administration’s plans to open up the coast to new drilling, allow fracking in the Santa Barbara Channel, and empower the Sable oil company to operate its failed pipeline in violation of state laws and court orders.
Eleven years ago, on May 19th, 2015, a severely corroded oil pipeline owned by Plains All American burst and spewed more than 120,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean near Refugio State Beach. Hundreds of marine mammals and birds were killed, fisheries were shut down for over a month, and recreational opportunities were lost, costing local coastal industries millions in lost revenue.
Earlier this year, Sable restarted oil operations using the same pipeline responsible for the 2015 spill. The company relied on a Trump administration order to ignore California state laws and an injunction preventing the restart of Sable’s facilities.
Additionally, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced plans to target the entire California coastline, including the Santa Barbara Channel, for new offshore oil leases. An increase in offshore oil drilling and subsequent spills threatens the inherent value of the Santa Barbara Channel and California’s coast, as well as the state’s coastal recreation economy, valued at over $44 billion annually.
REGISTER:
Please register online here.
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