SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — It’s over 80 degrees in Santa Barbara County, and 81-year-old Bill Robbins just got done surfing at Refugio State Beach.

What You Need To Know

In March, Sable Offshore Corp. announced oil flow resumed through a California pipeline system that had been shutdown since the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill


In 2015, over 100,000 gallons of crude oil spilled after a pipeline burst, much of it into the ocean, devastating wildlife


The restart came at the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act


State officials and environmental activists argue this violates state law

“Waves are fun. Not very big, but fun waves,” Robbins, a local surfer, said. 

Robbins has lived in the area for over 30 years and surfs here often. He said he remembered what the beach looked like just over 10 years ago when a nearby oil pipeline ruptured, causing the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill. 

“The tar coming up on the beach, the oil up on the beach and just, you know, black rocks. It just really, you know, destroyed the nature of this place,” Robbins said.  

In 2015, over 100,000 gallons of crude oil spilled, much of it into the ocean, devastating wildlife. Since then, the pipeline has been shut down. 

That was until Sable Offshore Corporation, the new owner, announced in March that it had resumed oil flow, following the signing of an executive order by President Donald Trump, invoking the Defense Production Act.  

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright then directed Sable to restore operations, citing supply risks and dependence on foreign oil. 

This move comes as gas prices have risen in the U.S. amid an ongoing war in the Middle East. 

“[The] order will strengthen America’s oil supply and restore a pipeline system vital to our national security and defense,” Wright said.

This has raised concerns from many, including Robbins.  

“We never seem to learn the lessons,” Robbins said.  

Alex Katz, with the Environmental Defense Center, a nonprofit law firm in Santa Barbara, said they have been working for over a year to stop the restart. 

“We know that the state is still saying that this is not safe to restart,” said Katz, executive director of the Environmental Defense Center.

The group argues Sable lacks the required permits.

They have a lawsuit against the renewed operations, and a judge has kept a preliminary injunction in place blocking the oil flow until Sable has notified the court that it has obtained approvals. 

In a statement, Gov. Gavin Newsom argued, “This is an attempt to illegally restart a pipeline whose operators are facing criminal charges and prohibited by multiple court orders from restarting.”

But the Trump administration has invoked the Defense Production Act to supersede state law.

On March 23, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a new lawsuit against the Trump administration, citing unlawful executive overreach. 

“The president is undermining state law that is supposed to be here to protect the public safety and to protect the environment of California,” Katz said. 

The U.S. Department of Energy argues that Sable’s facility can increase California’s in-state oil-production by 15% which can replace nearly 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude each month.

But, as Robbins remembered the 2015 oil spill, he wants this to be stopped.

 “I hope so. Yeah, I certainly hope so,” Robbins said.

He said he hopes that type of devastation never happens again.