In a decision that has sparked outrage among environmental activists and California leaders, the Trump administration has quickly pushed through the reopening of a major Pacific oil reserve, the Santa Ynez Unit.
This is despite its history of environmental harm and strong resistance. This fast-tracked approval, completed in just five months, shows a clear focus on what the Interior Department calls “energy dominance” over environmental protection.
The Santa Ynez Unit, which holds an estimated 190 million barrels of recoverable oil, had been shut down for ten years after a pipeline break in 2015. That spill released around 500 barrels of oil into the ocean (part of a larger leak), causing serious harm to marine life and coastal areas. It served as a harsh reminder of the dangers of offshore drilling.
According to Fox, Houston-based Sable Energy bought the site from ExxonMobil in 2024, and the current administration has now rushed to bring it back into production. Interior Department officials have praised the sped-up process, claiming it helps restore energy independence and maximizes the use of American offshore resources.
Climate change is getting a real helper in this administration
A deputy director from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said President Donald Trump’s push for U.S. energy to come from American sources was a key reason for the decision. The agency called this move a rapid shift from ten years of no energy production in the Pacific to nearly full capacity in just months, with three oil platforms expected to be running by the end of the year.
This aggressive strategy against planet earth, described by the administration as cutting through unnecessary delays and simplifying permits, reflects a belief that results matter most, even if it means skipping thorough environmental reviews. However, this rushed reopening has faced fierce backlash from California’s lawmakers. Senator Adam Schiff and Representative Salud Carbajal have been especially outspoken in their criticism.
BIG NEWS for American Energy Dominance! The Santa Ynez Unit is back online after a decade, unleashing 190M barrels of oil. Trump-Vance Admin delivers "results, not delays" for US energy. Learn more: https://t.co/uGK5K4zIra #AmericanEnergyDominance #UnleashAmericanEnergy pic.twitter.com/XziyZl4zfW
— BSEE (@BSEEgov) July 25, 2025
In a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, they expressed deep concerns, pointing out that the state is still recovering from recent Los Angeles wildfires, which they directly linked to climate change fueled by fossil fuels. They stressed the enormous economic, environmental, and human costs California has suffered from such events and warned against the Trump administration’s broader efforts to expand oil drilling while weakening environmental rules.
The California officials specifically highlighted the “corrosion-prone pipeline” that caused the 2015 Refugio spill, reminding state leaders of the devastation from that incident. They praised Governor Newsom’s opposition to new federal offshore oil leases but warned that reopening old, risky infrastructure poses a more urgent threat. To protect the coast, Representative Carbajal introduced a bill in April to permanently ban offshore oil drilling in California’s Outer Continental Shelf, showing how strongly the state opposes these risky projects.
