After hours of debate, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to uphold an appeal, denying the transfer of key oil and gas permits from ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore Corporation. The decision keeps Sable from legally operating facilities connected to the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill.
Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, who had previously supported the permit transfer, switched his vote after reviewing the company’s legal and regulatory troubles, including criminal charges, California Coastal Commission fines, and other enforcement actions.
“Without spilling a single drop of oil, Sable has managed to push back the reputation of the industry 20 years. If I was another Santa Barbara County gas and oil operator, I’d be livid,” Lavagnino said during the hearing…