Bilingual report — County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors to meet on Oct. 21

D1) California Coastal Commission’s Conditional Certification of an Amendment to the Local Coastal Program Regarding the Cannabis Odor Ordinance Amendments
(Estimated Time: 45 minutes) 

D2) Status of Orphan and Idle Wells in Santa Barbara County
(Estimated Time: 30 minutes)

Summary: 

The Board will receive an update on the current status of orphan and idle oil and gas wells in Santa Barbara County, as well as the regulations that guide how these wells are safely closed and cleaned up. As of September 2025, state records from the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) show that there are 1,039 active wells and 1,221 idle wells in the county, meaning they are not currently in use but have not been permanently shut down. To date, about 3,663 wells in the county have been fully closed and abandoned in accordance with state and local guidelines.

D3) Framework, Approach, and Budget to Phase Out Oil & Gas Operations
(Estimated Time: 1.5 hours)

Summary: 

The Board will consider a plan to allocate staff and funding toward updating local ordinances to prohibit the drilling of new oil and gas wells and to develop a long-term strategy for phasing out existing oil and gas operations. Staff is recommending that this work be carried out in two phases. The first phase would focus on banning the drilling of new oil and gas wells, with an estimated timeline of about six months. The second phase would involve creating and adopting a plan to gradually shut down existing oil and gas facilities and operations, which is expected to take approximately three years to complete.