Santa Barbara District Attorney John Savrnoch just slapped Sable Offshore Corp. with 21 criminal charges on Tuesday, adding to the heap of legal roadblocks in the way of the company’s plans to restart oil production on the Gaviota Coast.
The 21 counts are in response to Sable’s repair work to revive the ruptured pipeline that caused the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill.
Sable is calling it a “politically motivated” attack. Environmental advocates — who oppose Sable’s restart of oil and gas facilities formerly owned by ExxonMobil, including three offshore platforms, onshore processing stations, and the ruptured pipeline — are calling it justice…