Overview
- Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a civil lawsuit in Santa Barbara County Superior Court seeking injunctive relief and civil penalties of up to $5,000 per day for alleged violations of state water quality rules.
- The complaint alleges Sable conducted unpermitted “pig and dig” excavation that discharged sediment and vegetation into streams and wetlands and provided minimal information to water regulators.
- The Central Coast Water Board issued multiple notices since December 2024 and in April urged legal action, and the California Coastal Commission previously issued a cease-and-desist order and an $18 million fine.
- Separately, the Santa Barbara County district attorney has charged Sable with five felonies and 16 misdemeanors over alleged unlawful discharges, with an arraignment set for November 4.
- Sable disputes the allegations, citing oversight by certified experts and remediation, while pursuing a restart plan with the State Fire Marshal and proposing a federal-waters storage and treating vessel as an alternative under a newly tightened legal landscape shaped by SB 237.