Federal officials say offshore oil production has resumed off of California’s Central Coast for the first time in a decade. But, local environmental advocates argue the project is still stalled and that key permits are missing.
In a press release, the US Department of the Interior announced that high oil production had restarted at the Santa Ynez Unit (SYU)—an offshore oil field that’s been shut down since the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill. The agency called the development a success for moving the country toward “American Energy Dominance.”
The SYU, located off of Santa Barbara, was sold by ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore Corporation last year. It includes three platforms—Harmony, Heritage and Hondo—along with the onshore Las Flores Canyon plant and a pipeline that runs through Gaviota State Park…