(San Francisco, March 18, 2026) – The Trump administration should immediately halt the forced restart of the dangerous Sable pipeline system off California’s coast and allow state authorities to permanently retire it, Climate Rights International said today. The administration has invoked the Defense Production Act to compel the resumption of oil production and transport through infrastructure that has been shut down for nearly a decade following a major spill.

Oil has already begun flowing through parts of the system despite ongoing legal disputes, site enforcement actions, and the absence of key state approvals. California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, have said the restart is unlawful and are exploring legal options to challenge the federal order. Trump’s actions have set up a direct confrontation between federal authority and state environmental law with potentially far-reaching implications for regulatory oversight.

Sable’s initial attempt to restart the pipeline drew sustained opposition from local residents, environmental groups, and a growing coalition of advocates who called for permanent closure. Community-led campaigns, such as “Stop Sable,” mobilized students, local organizations, and national voices such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jane Fonda to highlight the risks of reviving the project and to press state officials to block its return. These efforts reflect the widespread concern that restarting the pipeline would ignore the lessons of the 2015 spill.

“This pipeline has already failed once in a disastrous way that people along this coast won’t ever forget,” said Brad Adams, Executive Director at Climate Rights International. “Now, to deal with the political fallout of the huge increases in gas prices resulting from his war in Iran, President Trump has ordered the pumping of oil through rickety infrastructure, putting people and California’s coast at risk.”

The pipeline system, which includes offshore platforms and an onshore processing facility, was responsible for the 2015 Refugio oil spill that contaminated miles of California coastline and caused widespread environmental and economic harm. The rupture, linked to corrosion and longstanding maintenance failures, released more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil, much of it flowing into the Pacific Ocean. The spill killed marine life, damaged sensitive coastal habitats, closed beaches, and disrupted fishing and tourism-dependent communities. The disaster forced the shutdown of the entire pipeline system and exposed serious weaknesses in the infrastructure. As Climate Rights International reported last year, those risks are still present.

Built in the 1980s, the pipeline system has long raised concerns about aging infrastructure operating beyond its intended lifespan. Investigations into the 2015 spill found significant corrosion and deficiencies in monitoring and maintenance, raising broader questions about whether the system could safely operate without substantial upgrades. Since then, regulators and courts have grappled with whether the pipeline could ever be brought back into compliance with modern environmental and safety standards.

Efforts to restart the system have been entangled in years of regulatory review, litigation, and sustained opposition from California authorities. State agencies have denied or withheld key permits, and raised concerns about corrosion, leak detection, and emergency response capacity. Regulators have also taken enforcement actions and ordered portions of the pipeline removed from protected state lands, reflecting ongoing concerns about both legal compliance and environmental risk.

After acquiring the assets from ExxonMobil in 2024, Sable Offshore sought to revive the system despite those unresolved issues, setting up a direct conflict with state authorities. Litigation has continued over whether the project can proceed without meeting current permitting and review requirements, while regulators have maintained that critical approvals remain outstanding.

The Trump administration should rescind its order and stop oil from flowing through the Sable pipeline system, said Climate Rights International. Federal and state authorities should instead move to permanently retire this aging infrastructure and prioritize decommissioning and remediation over prolonging the life of a system that has already demonstrated its risks and caused significant harm, and continues to raise serious legal and safety concerns.

“This is an aging pipeline that already caused a major spill and about which serious safety concerns remain, yet the administration is forcing it back into operation over local objections,” said Adams. “There is a clear and rational path forward here. Retire the pipeline and ensure that decisions about energy infrastructure are guided by safety, accountability, and the protection of communities.”