SANTA BARBARA, CA — Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D–Santa Barbara) expressed strong support for Attorney General Rob Bonta's lawsuit — announced this morning — challenging the Trump Administration's unlawful attempt to override California's authority and allow Sable Offshore Corp. to restart the failed Las Flores oil pipelines associated with the devastating 2015 Refugio oil spill.
"The State of California will not allow Sable — nor the Trump Administration — to come to California, ignore our laws, and expect to get away with it," Hart said. "I commend Attorney General Bonta and the State Fire Marshal for standing up for California's right — and responsibility — to protect our coastline, our communities, and our economy."
The lawsuit challenges a series of recent federal actions that would allow Sable to restart the Las Flores pipelines — pipelines that have been shut down for over ten years since the Refugio oil spill. Those actions include reclassifying the pipelines to strip California of oversight and rushing through approvals to resume oil transport, despite the serious safety failures that caused one of the worst spills in California history.
"These are the same pipelines that ruptured in 2015, spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil along our coast, killing wildlife, shutting down beaches, and hurting local businesses," Hart continued. "The federal government's actions ignore history, ignore the law, and ignore the painful lessons our community learned firsthand. California will not allow Trump and his Big Oil friends to bypass our essential environmental laws and threaten our coastline."
Hart has led successful legislative efforts to strengthen coastal protections and clarify state authority over aging oil infrastructure, including legislation ensuring that dormant pipelines cannot restart without full environmental review and Coastal Commission approval.
"The people of the Central Coast have been clear: we do not want another oil spill," Hart said. "This legal action is about accountability, safety, and making sure that decisions affecting our coast are made through a public process — not behind closed doors in Washington."
Gregg Hart represents the California Assembly's 37th Assembly District, which includes Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Montecito, Summerland, Buellton, Solvang, Lompoc, Guadalupe, Santa Maria, Orcutt, and Nipomo. He currently serves as the Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Oversight & Accountability and the Assembly Select Committee on the Nonprofit Sector.
CONTACT: Lenh Voong, Legislative Director, lenh.voong@asm.ca.gov
Ethan Bertrand, District Director, ethan.bertrand@asm.ca.gov