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- Apr 10, 202590% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
Coastal Commission Fines Sable $18 Million and Orders Pipeline Work Stopped
- On Thursday 10 April 2025, after a five-hour hearing at its Santa Barbara meeting, the California Coastal Commission voted to fine Sable Offshore more than $18 million for alleged unpermitted work on the pipelines involved in the 2015 Refugio spill[1]
- Chair Justin Cummings proposed raising the staff-recommended penalty to $18,022,500; if Sable complies with the orders and applies for coastal development permits it falls back to $14,987,250[1]
- The penalty passed 8-3, and the Commission unanimously approved a third cease-and-desist order and a restoration order[1][2]
- The orders cover excavation, grading, wetland fill, pipe replacement, shutoff valves and sand and cement bags placed on the seafloor along Lines CA-324 and CA-325, as order numbers CCC-25-CD-01, CCC-25-RO-01 and CCC-25-AP3-01[4]
- Sable says the work is routine maintenance authorised by permits issued to the original owner in the 1980s, and Santa Barbara County backed that view in a 12 February letter; Sable's Steve Rusch called it a 'fundamental disagreement'[1]
- The Commission issued its first cease-and-desist order in November 2024 over work on about 130 pipeline anomalies in the coastal zone[1]
- Sable calls the penalty unlawful and has not accrued it; a Santa Barbara judge enjoined further work in breach of the order on 28 May 2025, and the Court of Appeal affirmed that on 17 June 2026[3]
References 484% CONFIDENCEOverall confidence: 84%How well the pin's source and references back up its dates.Weighted average of how firmly 4 references, the source included, support the pin's start and end times; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newestShow all pins at 75% confidence or better
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- [1]90%independent.com/2025/04/10/sable-offshore-slammed-with-18-million-fine-at-marathon-coastal-commission-meeting-in-santa-barbaraindependent.com· Posted Sep 28, 2026· Starts Apr 10, 2025 ✓· 34% of score
Santa Barbara Independent, Thu Apr 10, 2025: 'the California Coastal Commission voted on April 10 to impose a more than $18 million fine on oil company Sable Offshore'.
- [2]76%Issue: Sable Offshore Corporation Cease and Desist Orders | ActCoastalactcoastal.org· Added Sep 28, 2026· 34% of score
The coastal advocacy vote tracker records that on 10 April 2025 the Commission voted 8-3 to impose an $18,022,500 administrative penalty and issued a third cease-and-desist order and a restoration order.[1]
- [3]86%Sable Offshore Corp. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026sec.gov· Published Aug 10, 2026· 28% of score
Sable's filing confirms the three orders approved on 10 April 2025 and an administrative penalty of approximately $18.0 million, which Sable does not believe is lawful and has not accrued; on 28 May 2025 the Superior Court enjoined further development in violation of the cease-and-desist order, and the Court of Appeal affirmed that injunction on 17 June 2026.[1]
- [4]90%Staff Report: Cease and Desist Order, Restoration Order and Administrative Civil Penalty (Sable Offshore Corp.)documents.coastal.ca.gov· Published Mar 28, 2025· Starts Apr 10, 2025· 4% of score
The Commission's own staff report sets the hearing for 10 April 2025 on Cease and Desist Order CCC-25-CD-01, Restoration Order CCC-25-RO-01 and Administrative Penalty CCC-25-AP3-01 against Sable Offshore Corp., for excavation, grading, wetland fill, pipeline replacement, shutoff-valve installation and sand and cement bags on the seafloor, all without Coastal Act authorization.[1]
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