Sable Offshore provides update on coastal zone maintenance, repair work

Sable Offshore (SOC) provided an update on its ongoing coordination with the California Coastal Commission, or CCC, related to Sable’s maintenance and repair work along the existing Pacific Pipeline Company Las Flores Pipelines CA-324 and CA-325. The following statement was issued by Steve Rusch, VP of regulatory and environmental affairs at Sable: “Maintenance and repair activities that are exempt from Coastal Act permitting requirements have been conducted on the Las Flores Pipeline system under the pipeline’s existing Coastal Development Permits for the last 35+ years, and Sable believes recent work on the pipelines is within the scope of those historic activities. Sable has been extremely concerned about environmental risk from open excavations along the pipeline route since the Coastal Commission asked Sable to stop all work in the Coastal Zone at the end of September. Sable and the CCC are now working to agree on the terms of an interim work plan to fill the open excavations, and Sable will be prepared to start work immediately to fill those open excavations in order to protect the environment against erosion in case of any rain events. Restoring the excavations to their original condition will be the best way to ensure that the environment will be protected, which is the highest priority for the CCC and Sable. Once the CCC approves Sable’s interim work plan, Sable expects the work will take approximately seven days and Sable is prepared to start the work immediately. This coordination will allow for CCC and Sable to progress their discussions regarding how to proceed with the remaining pipeline maintenance and repair work in the Coastal Zone, without threat of erosion or other environmental impact during the onset of any inclement weather. We appreciate CCC staff’s engagement and efforts to work with us in trying to arrive at a solution, and share the Commission’s passion for protecting the environment and coastal resources.” The Las Flores Pipeline system is 124 miles long and spans multiple properties. The open excavations with exposed pipe are limited to nine parcels of land in the Coastal Zone where pipeline maintenance and repair work already was underway. Outside of the Coastal Zone, Sable has continued its maintenance and repair activities along the pipeline to bring it to “as new” condition.