SPECIAL EVENTS |
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16 |
We urge you to join with Santa Barbara County Action Network and our allies to support the Board of Supervisors' denying a transfer of permits from Exxon to Sable.
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Will Reconvene to Consider Findings for Denial of Sable Permit Transfer
December 16
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Santa Maria and Online
MESSAGE FROM SANTA BARBARA CHANNELKEEPER
On December 16, the County Board of Supervisors will meet on the issue of transferring the operating permits of the Santa Ynez Unit, which includes the pipeline that ruptured and caused the 2015 spill at Refugio Beach.
This hearing is being held to complete action the Board of Supervisors initiated on November 4, when it last met on this issue. At that meeting, four of the five Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors determined that due to Sable’s extensive list of violations that the company has racked up as well as questions of financial capacity, they could not make the finding that the company has the training, skills, and resources to operate the facilities in question.
Santa Barbara County staff had previously recommended approval in its staff report, despite the lengthy list of violations including twenty-one criminal charges brought by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney, a lawsuit from the state Attorney General, and a historic $18 million fine from the state Coastal Commission. In November, the Board of Supervisors voted to continue the hearing to allow Santa Barbara County staff to prepare findings to support denial of Sable’s application.
On December 16, there will be a full hearing to consider the findings for denial of Sable’s application to transfer the permits from Exxon. It will be as important as it was in November to turnout in support of the County’s Board of Supervisors denying the permit transfer. So, one more time, we are asking the community to wear red and come out in support of our coast!
Written public comments one page or less can be submitted via email by 5pm on Monday, December 15.
The agenda and background information will be posted here on Friday: https://santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx#current
Contact Channelkeepers at [email protected]
CALLS TO ACTION |
CHEVRON DECOMMISSIONING |
Ask State Lands Commission to continue item on Chevron decommissioning to a future date
MESSAGE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE CENTER
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RESTORE CLEAN WATER PROTECTIONS |
Proposed Definition of “Waters of the United States” Threatens Water Protections
MESSAGE FROM SANTA BARBARA CHANNELKEEPER
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SB Channelkeepers email: [email protected]
DEIR FOR SHELBY RESIDENTIAL PROJECT |
Shelby Housing Project Draft EIR released
for proposed housing site next to El Encanto Creek
north of Cathedral Oaks Rd., Goleta
The developer is proposing to encroach into the 100-foot Streamside Protection Area.
MESSAGE FROM THE CITY OF GOLETA
The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Shelby Residential Project is now available online for the upcoming Environmental Officer Hearing (EHO) Meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 5:00 P.M.
Rincon Consultants has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the CEQA implementation guidelines. This NOA is being circulated pursuant to CEQA. A Draft EIR (DEIR) has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of CEQA (Public Resources Code, §§ 21000, et seq.), the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 Cal. Code of Regulations, §§ 150000, et seq.), and the City’s Environmental Review Guidelines. The City is requesting written feedback from the public, interested organizations, and responsible trustee agencies about the scope and content of the environmental information that will be addressed in the DEIR. The DEIR will address the environmental issues discussed in the project’s initial study.
A meeting to take comments on the Draft EIR will be held by the City Environmental Hearing Officer on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
The Environmental Hearing Officer (EHO) will conduct a hybrid meeting to solicit comments on the adequacy of the analysis of the environmental issue areas, and alternatives to the Project studied within the DEIR. The Environmental Hearing Officer meeting will be held in the Goleta Council Chambers located at 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA.
ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION: Please register for Environmental Hearing Officer Meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM PDT at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zGonRjciS2it6KZ5G79kpg
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Webinar ID: 823 6641 9914
Passcode: 769637
A copy of the DEIR can be found on Shelby Residential Project page here.
A copy of the Notice can be found here.
PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE DRAFT EIR (DEIR):
The Draft EIR is available for a 45-day public review period from November 26, 2025 - January, 2026. The Draft EIR is available on the City’s website at:http://www.cityofgoleta.org/your-city/planning-and-environmental-review/ceqa-review/shelby-residential-development-project Please limit comments to environmental issues only.
For more information about this project, contact Darryl Mimick, Supervising Planner at 805-961-7572 or via email at [email protected].
Questions? Contact Us
OPPOSE NEW OFFSHORE OIL & GAS LEASES |
New Five-Year Offshore Drilling Plan Includes California Waters
MESSAGE FROM SANTA BARBARA CHANNELKEEPER
The U.S. Department of the Interior released a Five-Year Offshore Drilling Plan on November 20. The plan proposes six new oil and gas lease sales off the California coast—including the Santa Barbara Channel—in addition to twenty-one new lease sales in Alaska and seven lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico. The six leases in federal waters off California’s Coast would be the first new lease sales since 1984.
Channelkeeper opposes the plan to open up the California coast to new offshore oil and gas development offshore. As we know through experience, offshore drilling can lead to significant oil spills, which are catastrophic to the sensitive and biological rich Santa Barbara Channel, as well as the robust tourism and fisheries industries that are supported by these important coastal waters.
The release of the new offshore drilling plan opened a 60-day public comment window, which will close on January 23, 2026. Because the Department of the Interior will not be holding public hearings on this significant proposal, organizations are coming together to host People’s Hearings during the public comment window to allow the community to learn about the proposal, hear from community leaders, and show support for protecting California’s coast from new offshore oil and gas development. Santa Barbara's People's Hearing is in development and currently slated for mid-January, 2026. Be on the lookout for more information as soon as details are finalized. Click here for talking points to consider as you draft your comments.
Submit comments: https://www.regulations.gov/document/BOEM-2025-0483-0001
