Environmental and conservation organizations are engaged in a significant lawsuit against the Trump administration over the Las Flores Pipeline restart. They argue that federal regulators bypassed ecological regulations when they quickly approved the restart of the Las Flores Pipeline System. This legal action marks a significant increase in opposition to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) decision to assume oversight of the pipeline from California authorities and to grant emergency approval for its operation.

Federal Approval Sparks Legal Challenge

Last week, groups such as the Environmental Defense Center (EDC), the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club, and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper filed an urgent lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. These groups are challenging the Trump administration’s decision to reclassify the Las Flores Pipeline as an interstate pipeline. This shift transferred regulatory power from the California State Fire Marshal, who had recently determined that the pipeline needed more repairs before it could resume operations.

The lawsuit names PHMSA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and key agency leaders as defendants. Lawyers for the environmental groups argue that this action avoided necessary ecological safeguards and public participation requirements under federal law, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Pipeline Safety Act.

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Claims of Skirted Safety and Environmental Review

A key point of the lawsuit is that PHMSA’s approval, issued on December 22, ignored California’s findings that the pipeline, which had been inactive for nearly ten years, still needed repairs to operate safely. The groups claim that by granting a special permit that exempts the company from following several federal pipeline safety rules, federal regulators have endangered coastal communities and ecosystems.

Linda Krop, EDC Chief Counsel, voiced concerns about the health and safety of the public, property, and the environment along the pipeline route, stating, “We can’t allow the Trump administration and Sable to undermine California law and gamble with the safety of everyone living along the pipeline route.”

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Background and Broader Implications

The Las Flores Pipeline System, linked to Sable Offshore Corp., has been out of service since a major corrosion-related break near Gaviota Coast in 2015 resulted in one of California’s worst oil spills. The lawsuit against the Trump administration over the Las Flores Pipeline restart asks the court to stop the restart until a proper environmental review is completed and legal procedures are followed. The plaintiffs argue that the federal agency’s action was arbitrary and ignored public input and legal safeguards designed to prevent future disasters.

As the case moves forward, environmental advocates warn that the Trump administration’s approach could set a precedent for ignoring state and federal protections in future energy infrastructure decisions without court intervention. This makes the lawsuit a critical moment in environmental law.

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