Action Alerts

  • SBCAN Roundtables Information

    SBCAN Roundtables took a hiatus when the coronavirus necessitated stopping all in-person public meetings. We are coming back now via Zoom. The South County Roundtable will resume next month. The North County Roundtable will resume on Thursday.

    SBCAN North County Roundtable
    Thursday, June 11,  6 PM to 7:30 PM via Zoom

    We hope you will be able to join us:

    Here's the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81862027793?pwd=N3JnOGU0NWNQMHpFOGJwUGFPUGlQUT09

    AGENDA

    1. Call to Order by Janet Blevins: Introductions; agenda review (5 min.)
    2. Urban Growth Boundary for Solvang. At our last meeting (Feb. 13) Nancy Emerson and Susan Bott joined us to discuss their ideas on this topic. The proposal has qualified for the November ballot! Celebration time! (5 min.)
    3. Proposed Development in Solvang. Blended-use project proposed by Ed St. George involving the Veterans Hall. Public workshop sessions are scheduled for June 27. (5 min.)
    4. Open Discussion Regarding Social Justice Issues and Recent Protests. (Time TBD)
    5. Santa Maria’s Blosser Southeast Area 5B Specific Plan. This plan pertains to the last large agricultural tract in the City of Santa Maria. Here is the link to the Specific Plan: https://www.cityofsantamaria.org/home/showdocument?id=27228 (10 min.)
    6. Oak Trees Destroyed on Santa Maria Airport Property. Discuss status of tree ordinance in Santa Maria. (5 min.)
    7. Bailey Avenue Annexation Proposal in Lompoc. Under consideration for the last decade or more, this expansion of the City of Lompoc into prime agricultural lands to the west is being advanced by the city to the Local Agency Formation Commission. (10 min.)
    8. City of Santa Maria General Plan Update. This plan update raises the strong possibility of Santa Maria taking action to expand its sphere of influence and city boundaries into adjacent prime agricultural lands.  (10 min.)
    9. CalGEM Consideration of Aquifer Exemptions for Oil Wastewater Injections. (5 min.)
    10. Status of Onshore Oil Projects: ERG, Aera and PetroRock in Cat Canyon, and BLM Lease Proposal. Mostly good news as Aera and PetroRock have withdrawn their applications. (10 min.)
    11. Exxon/Mobil Restart and Trucking Proposal. FEIR to be released later this summer. (5 min.)
    12. Brief updates from participants. (2 to 5 min. each)
    13. Open discussion about other items of interest. All (10 min.)
    14. Next meeting. Our next meeting is scheduled for July 9 via Zoom.

    If you have trouble joining the meeting, call me at 805.563.0463.

    Be well. Stay safe.

    Ken Hough
    SBCAN Executive Director
    [email protected]
    805.563.0463
    http://www.sbcan.org/

    Written by
    June 09, 2020

  • Join in a Solidarity March Thursday, June 4 honoring George Floyd

    Join us in a Solidarity March tomorrow, Thursday, June 4, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. honoring the life of George Floyd. There will be marches in Santa Maria at city hall and Lompoc at North H and Central.

    The NAACP is the leader of the march. Santa Barbara County Action Network is one of many cosponsors.

    Social distancing, mask and nonviolence required.

    "The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do so for them."

    For more information, call 805-448-7869.

     

    Written by
    June 03, 2020

  • Aera Energy withdraws app for hundreds of new oil wells in Santa Maria area

    Aera Energy withdrew its application to drill hundreds of new cyclic-steaming oil wells in East Cat Canyon yesterday (May 27)!

    SBCAN has been working for more than eight years to defeat onshore oil development proposals in the greater Santa Maria area. First, we worked to secure strict mitigations from the County of Santa Barbara for Santa Maria Energy’s expansion in Orcutt, then we helped ensure that Pacific Coast Energy's Orcutt Hill expansion was denied by the County.

    Next PetroRock and now Aera Energy (owned by Exxon/Mobil and Shell) have withdrawn from the fight sensing the formidable community opposition and the futility of trying to make a profit drilling for some of the thickest and most carbon intensive oil in the world.

    We thank all of our volunteers who have written letters and testified before the County Planning Commission against this project, as well as all our partners including Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Los Padres Forest Watch, Safe Energy Now North County, Food and Water Watch, 350 Santa Barbara, Sunrise Coalition, World Business Academy, Standing Rock Coalition, and others who have joined the fight with intelligence and vigor.

    SBCAN and Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club have retained the Environmental Defense Center on this effort.  EDC has represented us—and all the residents of the county—exceedingly well in analyzing and articulating the devastating impacts of Aera’s proposal.

    Our water resources, flora and fauna, air quality, and the earth’s climate are safer with this proposal withdrawn.

    Written by
    May 28, 2020

  • SB Independent writes about SBCAN

    This article was posted in the Santa Barbara Independent today. We are happy to be part of Santa Barbara County Action Network whose board and members are at the forefront of social and environmental justice issues in this county.

    SBCAN is getting the word out on progressive issues by helping to support journalists covering these issues as well as through our action alerts and efforts in the community. Please like our Facebook page at Facebook.com/SBCANORG and sign up for action alerts at www.sbcan.org.

    We thank our partners and others in the community who are also working to make Santa Barbara County a better place for all.

    Written by
    May 18, 2020

  • OIL 101 - A Webinar on May 18th on Oil Projects Threatening SB County

    You are invited to the webinar Oil 101: Moving Beyond Platforms, Pipelines and Pollution in Santa Barbara on Monday, May 18th. It will be hosted at 12pm PT in English and at 6pm PT in Spanish.

    image001.jpg

    For the fifth anniversary of the Refugio Oil Spill, several organizations, including the Environmental Defense Center, Los Padres ForestWatch, Sierra Club, 350.org, and Center for Biological Diversity, are co-hosting a webinar about the various oil projects threatening Santa Barbara County. 

    The webinar will walk the audience through the main projects soon to be considered in Santa Barbara and asks folks to take action in remembrance of the Plains Pipeline spill at Refugio State Beach five years ago. 

    RSVP here for the webinar in English at 12pm PT:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1415886804285/WN_3nwzC_KlQbuSoLBMcGP9dw

    RSVP here for the webinar in Spanish at 6pm PT:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8315886807160/WN_9IOT71OURF2QIqwJ5J9RWA

    More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/844212959409781/?notif_t=plan_user_joined&notif_id=1588718122340993

    BETSY WEBER
    EDC Assistant Director
    906 Garden Street
    Santa Barbara, CA 93101
    805.963.1622 x 111
    www.EnvironmentalDefenseCenter.org

     

    Written by
    May 14, 2020

  • May Day car rally in Santa Maria!

    JOIN THE CARAVAN!
     
    The North County Coalition has scheduled an event to celebrate May Day – International Worker’s Day! SBCAN is one of several cosponsors.
     
    Every year we honor workers and immigrants for their contributions to our communities on this day. This year, millions of working-class families are struggling for survival during this pandemic. We want to show our appreciation to all the workers putting themselves and their families at risk.
     
    We will also be advocating for worker's rights and the plight of working-class people. Join our car caravan this May Day where we will be asking to bailout the working class and cancel rent while honoring our essential workers.

    Meet in the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) parking lot at 120 E. Jones St. in Santa Maria, beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 1. The caravan will start out at 5 p.m. Details of the route are in the poster below.

    For more information, click here for the Facebook Event Page.
    PLEASE RSVP at the FB event page or sign up on this Google Doc.

    Written by
    April 29, 2020

  • Mickey Flacks, 1940-2020

    We are sad to report that SBCAN Founding Member Mickey Flacks died earlier this week. Many of you know that SBCAN was founded 18 years ago in Mickey and Dick Flacks’ living room.

    Mickey was a tireless advocate for a myriad of social justice issues, especially affordable housing and efficient alternative means of transportation. In addition to her many other civic and activist roles, she often represented SBCAN at planning commission meetings and city council and county board meetings.

    There is so much more to say about her, and when we are able to get together again, we will do more to recognize her contributions to the community. In the meantime, we wanted to let you know in case you had not heard.

    Mickey was at the heart and soul of SBCAN. She will be sorely missed.

    Here’s a link to an article about Mickey in the Santa Barbara Independent: https://www.independent.com/2020/04/21/mickey-flacks-longtime-housing-advocate-dies-at-80/

    Written by
    April 23, 2020

  • Apr 11 webinar on organizing for climate justice on the Central Coast


    Intersectional Organizing, Frontline Leadership and Climate Justice in California

    Online Workshop Saturday, April 11, 7 PM to 8 PM
    RSVP Here

    Join Central Coast organizers and youth leaders in a panel discussion about intersectional organizing for climate justice on the Central Coast. This interactive webinar and panel will explore the ways intersectionality can be used to build inclusive, accountable alliances and grow solidarity in the climate justice movement here in California.

    Drawing on stories of efforts to stop new oil drilling in counties throughout the Central Coast, as well as the formation of new intersectional environmental justice organizations in the region, panelists will share best practices, pro-tips, and key learnings from the region’s climate and environmental justice movement.

    Panelists include:
    Ana Rosa Rizo-Centino, Food and Water Action’s Senior Organizer in Santa Barbara
    Jami Medina, youth organizer and Hancock College student, based in Santa Maria
    Elvia Cruz-Garcia and Diana Garcia, UCSB Environmental Justice Alliance student leaders.
    Carmen Bouquin, moderator. Carmen is a San Luis Obispo Sunrise Movement youth climate leader, and Cuesta College student, .
    RSVP Here

    www.wyp.org

    Written by
    April 10, 2020

  • SBCAN Roundtables cancelled this week

    We are cancelling both of our Roundtables this week. (North County was scheduled for Thursday, March 12, South County for Friday, March 13.) 
     
    We will send more information before our next Roundtables in April.

    Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.

    Thank you for your support and involvement with SBCAN.

    Ken Hough
    SBCAN Executive Director

    Written by
    March 10, 2020

  • Join us on March 4 for a CalGEM workshop in Santa Maria and rally before

    With three projects on the horizon in the Cat Canyon Oil Field, Santa Barbara County is facing a massive increase in onshore oil and gas production using much dirtier and more dangerous extraction methods.

    These projects that SBCAN and the Sierra Club are fighting together with theEnvironmental Defense Center would triple onshore oil production in the County and are located near the towns of Sisquoc and Garey.

    The projects threaten surrounding communities’ air quality, drinking water, would add hundreds of oil tanker truck trips per day on their local roads and state highways and would bring the additional risk of spills threatening water, wildlife, and public health.

    But, right now you can have a voice in California’s effort to update and strengthen regulatory oversight of oil and gas production to protect our communities and environment.

    The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) will hold a public workshop on Wednesday, March 4 at 6 P.M. at the Santa Maria Veterans Memorial Community Center, 313 W. Tunnel St., and they want to hear from you!(CalGEM was formerly known as the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR).

    We will have a rally at 5 P.M. outside at the same location, then go inside to make comments.

    Written by
    February 28, 2020