SACRAMENTO –On the 50th anniversary of the devastating Santa Barbara Oil Spill, the largest oil spill in California waters, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) introduced legislation today to strengthen pipeline safety requirements, furthering her work to prevent and remediate oil spills off the California coast.
Senate Bill 169 intends to correct gaps in pipeline safety law that are exploited by some pipeline operators. Specifically, the bill states that all pipelines, regardless of whether they are being operated to full or partial capacity, are required to follow all applicable California laws. Some operators are sidestepping California’s pipeline safety requirements and defaulting to the less-stringent federal standards by operating at partial capacity.
SB 169 would also require pipeline operators to provide records necessary for inspection and compliance investigations to the State Fire Marshall when requested. Some pipeline operators are failing to produce safety-related documents in a timely manner to state regulators, which hinders their ability to conduct safety investigations.
“The Santa Barbara Oil Spill was devastating to our community. It damaged our wildlife, marine ecology, and coastal economy,” said Senator Jackson. “In the spill’s aftermath, a robust environmental movement raised public awareness about the harms poised by offshore oil and we passed significant legislation to protect our coastline. SB 169 furthers this important work by ensuring oil companies are not able to sidestep California’s stringent pipeline safety laws.”
Jackson also introduced Senate Resolution 12 today to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill and the subsequent achievements of the modern environmental movement. The resolution notes the extensive damage that the oil spill caused to the region’s marine life and coastal economy. SR 12 further honors California’s environmental leaders and encourages all Californians to participate in community efforts to protect the environment.
Senator Jackson has authored several laws related to oil spill prevention and cleanup. Her SB 834, which became law on January 1, 2019, blocks the Trump Administration from expanding federal oil drilling off the California coast by ensuring that new pipelines and other infrastructure needed to support federal oil development cannot be built in California waters.
Senator Jackson has also authored the following state laws:
- Senate Bill 44, Coastal Well Cleanup and Remediation Act (2017): Requires the State Lands Commission to monitor and plug orphaned wells when the original oil company that operated the well no longer exists.
- Senate Bill 414, Rapid Oil Spill Response Act (2015): Authored in the aftermath of the Refugio Oil Spill to make oil spill response faster, more effective, and environmentally friendly.
- Senate Bill 295 (2015): Helps reduce the risk of oil spills from pipelines by requiring the State Fire Marshall to annually inspect all intrastate pipelines and pipeline operators.
- Assembly Bill 16 (2004): Requires most new or expanded production of offshore crude oil to be exclusively transported onshore by pipeline and requires these pipelines to use the best available technology to ensure maximum protection from spills or leaks.
Jackson represents the 19th Senate District, which includes all of Santa Barbara County and western Ventura County.