VENOCO ELLWOOD OIL DEVELOPMENT

Platform Holly, photo courtesy of Linda Krop

EDC represents four organizations (Sierra Cub, Get Oil Out!, Citizens for Goleta Valley and Citizens Planning Association) in their efforts to prevent Venoco from expanding oil development from Platform Holly, near UCSB and Goleta.

Platform Holly is located in State waters approximately two miles offshore UCSB and Ellwood.  This platform was initially installed by ARCO in 1966, and produces oil and gas that are transported via pipeline to the Ellwood Onshore Facility (EOF) for processing.  The EOF is located between the Sandpiper Golf Course and Bacara Hotel. 

The oil is then transported by pipeline to storage tanks at Devereux (on UCSB property), before being loaded onto barges at the Ellwood Marine Terminal (EMT) for shipping to refineries in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. 

Venoco’s operations have resulted in significant impacts to the community and the environment.  In 1999, the State Lands Commission temporarily shut down Platform Holly following a series of dangerous gas releases.  The barging operations create odors that impact the residents and recreational users in the area.  The risk of an oil spill remains on ongoing threat to the Devereux Slough and the University’s Coal Oil Point Ecological Reserve, home to the federally protected snowy plover and other important seabirds.

Venoco Ellwood Onshore Facility, photo courtesy of Linda Krop

In 1997, Venoco purchased Platform Holly from Mobil and proposed a new project: the Ellwood Full Field Development proposal, which would expand the existing State offshore lease.  This expansion would encompass parts of the Ellwood field that were previously quitclaimed to the State by Venoco’s predecessor, ARCO, and are now part of the California Coastal Sanctuary.  EDC and our clients are concerned about the impacts that would result from the expanded use of Platform Holly, including air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, safety hazards, and threats to the surrounding ecology, including the Devereux Slough and Coal Oil Point Ecological Reserve. Click here to read EDC Comments on Draft EIR for Venoco’s Ellwood Full Field Development Project.  To learn more about Venoco’s application with the California State Lands Commission, click here.

In November, 2010, Venoco announced its withdrawal of the Full Field Development Project. EDC and our clients issued a statement celebrating Venoco's action.

Venoco Ellwood Marine Terminal, photo courtesy of Linda Krop

In a related matter, Venoco applied to the California State Lands Commission for permission to continue its barging operations from the EMT. Over the years, there have been many problems with Venoco’s barging operations, including complaints about odors, fugitive emissions and accidental releases of oil. Venoco is the only producer in the State that does not transport its oil by onshore pipeline. EDC and our clients have been working for more than a decade to put an end to barging and require Venoco to build an onshore pipeline instead.

The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Venoco’s application to renew the EMT lease found that pipeline transportation is the environmentally preferred alternative. Read EDC Letter to State Lands Commission Chair, Lt Governor Garamendi, supporting the determination in the EIR and urging the State Lands Commission to require Venoco to transport its oil by pipeline. Over our objections, the Commission voted to extend Venoco’s marine terminal lease until 2013, but also required Venoco to begin using a double-hulled barge by the end of 2010.

Venoco subsequently submitted an application to the County of Santa Barbara to construct a new onshore pipeline to transport its oil. EDC and our clients submitted comments on the EIR for the pipeline, supporting the project but seeking additional protections for coastal creeks and sensitive habitats. We were able to work with the County and Venoco to secure the additional protections, which were approved by the County Planning Commission on August 3, 2011. Final approvals by the City of Goleta and California Coastal Commission are expected to occur within the next two months, with construction to begin shortly thereafter.