A local official in Santa Barbara, Calif., rejected Tuesday an
emergency request by Exxon Mobil to use large trucks to haul its
crude oil along a scenic highway until a pipeline that recently
ruptured and caused a large spill is fixed.
"There is not adequate evidence that a defined emergency
exists," said Dianne Black, the county's assistant director of
planning and development. She was enlisted to make the decision
after the county's planning director, Glenn Russell, recused
himself since he recently owned stock in Exxon.
Exxon was the main customer of a pipeline owned by Plains All
American Pipeline that burst three weeks ago due to corrosion,
spilling 100,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean and on beaches
and killing wildlife.
Exxon was using the pipeline to haul some 30,000 barrels a day
of crude oil, and is being forced to scale back production at
offshore California fields as its storage facilities fill up. Last
week it urged Santa Barbara to allow it temporarily use trucks to
haul the oil to refineries in the region. It said trucks, each
carrying some 6,700 gallons of crude oil, would make eight trips an
hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using Highway 101, until
the pipeline is repaired and pumping resumes.
In Exxon's request for an emergency permit, it said it needed to
maintain crude oil supply for California refineries so it could
also maintain natural gas supplies to local utilities, providing
energy to thousands of homes and businesses in the area.
In denying Exxon's request, Ms. Black also said that the request
didn't fit the "comprehensive plan" of Santa Barbara county.
Environmentalist groups had urged Santa Barbara to reject the
request, saying it might lead to another oil spill before the mess
caused by the pipeline spill is even fully cleaned up.
Santa Barbara said Exxon could apply for a trucking permit
through the normal, nonemergency process, although that process
could take longer than it takes for the pipeline to return to
service.
"We are disappointed in this decision, which we have not yet had
the opportunity to study in detail," Richard D. Keil, an Exxon
spokesman, said Tuesday. "We will explore all options before us
going forward, and we will continue to focus on operating in a safe
and responsible manner."
Write to Dan Molinski at Dan.Molinski@wsj.com
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