WIN: Santa Maria Energy Project Appeal
Update:
159 people took action against dirty oil development. After an impassioned six-hour hearing with 110 public commenters, the Board of Supervisors voted to uphold the appeal that was brought by CEC, the Los Padres Sierra Club, Get Oil Out, and the Santa Barbara County Action Network and represented by the Environmental Defense Center. They decided on a 10,000 metric ton threshold for greenhouse gas emissions. While this is not the zero emission threshold we were asking for, it requires Santa Maria Energy to offset almost 90% of their greenhouse gas emissions, instead of the 29% that the Planning Commission had previously approved.
This decision establishes Santa Barbara as an environmental leader. Mitigation will either occur onsite or by funding environmental offset projects.
Update:
On Tuesday, November 12, 2013, the County Board of Supervisors will consider our appeal of the Santa Maria Energy Project. CEC has joined with Los Padres Sierra Club, GOO and SBCAN to have EDC file an appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of the project, as it only required a 29% mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.The developers want to use a GHG intensive method called cyclic steaming to heat and extract oil. This is one of the largest GHG producing projects proposed for our region and is precedent setting, with other similar projects waiting in the wings.
Please contact the Board of Supervisors by Monday, November 11 and let them know you oppose this project. In the event that the project is approved, ask them to require Santa Maria Energy to mitigate their GHGs to zero.Local officials have told us they don’t like getting form letters. Please change the subject and write why this project should be rejected or a personal story of why climate change needs to be addressed.
The letter sent to the Board of Supervisors:
Dear Chair Carbajal and Honorable Supervisors,
The proposed Santa Maria Energy Project will be one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in Santa Barbara County as it uses a process that is significantly more energy and carbon pollution intense than normal oil drilling. Please reject this project.
In the case you are not able to do this, I urge you to require Santa Maria Energy to mitigate all their greenhouse gas emissions through onsite efficiencies and carbon offsets. County staff have estimated this would cost around $1/barrel of oil, which is a tiny amount considering current oil prices of over $100/barrel. Oil companies should pay for the full cost of their pollution rather than being able to pass these costs on to society while they profit.
Update:
240 people took action against dirty oil development.
Unfortunately, we were not successful in getting the Planning Commission to reduce the project's carbon emissions to zero. The Planning Commission voted 3-2 in favor of the project mitigating only 29% of its total carbon emissions.
We are pleased to announce that CEC has joined with the Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club, Get Oil Out, and the Santa Barbara County Action Network to have the Environmental Defense Center file an appeal of that action to the Board of Supervisors.
We will inform you when the date is set for that meeting and what actions you can take to help us be successful in getting the Santa Maria Energy Project to fully mitigate its carbon emissions.
Original Alert:
On Wednesday, September 25, 2013, the County Planning Commission will consider the Santa Maria Energy Project.
The developers want to use a greenhouse gas intensive method called cyclic steaming to heat and extract oil. This is one of the largest greenhouse gas producing projects proposed for our region and is precedent setting, with other similar projects waiting in the wings.
Please contact the Planning Commission by 12:00 pm on Monday, September 23 to let them know you oppose this project, and in the event that it is approved, to require Santa Maria Energy to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
The letter sent to the Planning Commission:
Dear Chair Hartmann and members of the Commission,
The proposed Santa Maria Energy Project will be one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in Santa Barbara County as it uses a process that is significantly more energy and carbon pollution intense than normal oil drilling. Please reject this project.In the case you are not able to do this, I urge you to require Santa Maria Energy to mitigate all their greenhouse gas emissions through onsite efficiencies and carbon offsets. County staff have estimated this would cost around $1/barrel of oil, which is a tiny amount considering current oil prices of over $100/barrel. Oil companies should pay for the full cost of their pollution rather than being able to pass these costs on to society while they profit.