Carpinteria council denies appeal, certifies EIR and approves Chevron decommissioning plan

The Carpinteria City Council voted 5-0 on July 15 to deny an appeal of the Planning Commission’s May decision and to certify the final environmental impact report (EIR) for Chevron’s Carpinteria oil and gas processing facility decommissioning and remediation project, selecting the proposed project plus removal of the Hilda and Hazel pipeline bundle as the preferred alternative and approving the related development plan and coastal development permit (Resolution No. 6415; permit 21-2128-DP/CDP).

The decision concludes a special meeting that focused on two issues raised in the appeal: (1) whether routine regulatory requirements and project procedures were properly characterized as mitigation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and (2) whether cultural-resources monitors required during ground-disturbing activity must be members of a specific tribe. The staff presentation summarized the project, described the EIR findings and mitigation measures, and recommended denial of the appeal and approval of the project.

The EIR finds some impacts would be “significant and unavoidable” (Class I) for hazards, biological resources and water resources tied to a potential spill or upset during decommissioning. It also identified significant-but-mitigable (Class II) effects on aesthetics, cultural resources, greenhouse gases, geology, hazards and noise related primarily to temporary construction activities. Staff said mitigation would include exclusion zones, high-resolution mapping,…