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, cultural resources monitoring and a cultural resources management plan (CRMP), and that the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) required under CEQA would apply.

Appellant Frank Arredondo, who identified himself as tribal chair of Casa Nsukumu and a long‑standing Native American monitor and consultant, argued that the final EIR improperly deferred and mislabeled measures as mitigation rather than binding requirements. “The final EIR contains significant impacts to cultural resources and tribal cultural resources. They have not been mitigated,” Arredondo said. He urged the council to require a legally sufficient Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, to make the CRMP available for public scrutiny (with appropriate redactions for sensitive site locations), and to preserve or reinter cultural items on-site when tribes request it.

Chevron’s corporate affairs adviser for the West Coast decommissioning project, Mark Corte Nahabadian, replied that Chevron and the city had engaged multiple tribal entities and community members since 2022 and that the company had worked with the advising tribes to co-develop the CRMP. “We have collaborated with these advising tribes to co-develop the cultural resources management plan for this site, which serves as the primary mitigation measure for potential impacts to cultural resources,” Corte Nahabadian said, adding that the advising tribes had provided letters of support and authorized limited sharing of CRMP language to address concerns raised in the appeal.

City staff and the city attorney responded to legal points raised by the appellant. City counsel said CEQA and case law permit characterizing regulatory compliance and procedural requirements as mitigation when they are part of a suite of measures and when the lead agency adopts enforceable performance standards. “CEQA guidelines specifically state that compliance can be characterized as mitigation,” the city attorney said, and noted the EIR includes an analysis of impacts before mitigation and a description of the performance standards the CRMP must meet. Staff also said the MMRP is in the EIR record and will be adopted as part of the project approvals.

Several public commenters raised concerns about the harbor seal rookery near Carpinteria Bluffs and the potential for decommissioning work on or near the sandy beach to disturb the seal colony. Susan Milhugh and Patricia French urged the council to ensure expert marine‑wildlife monitoring and careful scheduling to avoid nighttime work in the Rookery. Staff and Chevron representatives said the project includes daily biological monitors, coordination with SealWatch volunteers, and restrictions on night work except for narrowly defined emergencies or very limited windows when delays would create greater harm. “Nothing would be left on the beach after the work day,” staff said when describing seal protections.

After deliberation, Council Member Clark moved to adopt Resolution No. 6415, which denies the appeal, accepts and certifies the EIR, selects the proposed project plus Hilda and Hazel pipeline removal alternative as preferred, and approves the development plan and coastal development permit for the Chevron Carpinteria decommissioning project. The motion passed on a roll-call vote: Salorsenau — Aye; Clark — Aye; Mayer — Aye; Nomura — Aye; Alcon — Aye.

The council’s action allows the project to proceed under the terms and conditions in the EIR, the CRMP (which the city and Chevron said remains confidential in part to protect location information provided by tribes), and the MMRP. Staff said the city will review the CRMP for compliance with the EIR’s stated performance standards before final approvals and that portions of the CRMP might be redacted for public release if confidentiality rules apply. The council did not adopt any additional conditions directing that a particular individual serve as a tribal monitor; staff said qualified monitors may be hired by tribes or the applicant so long as they meet the EIR’s professional standards.

The project was originally submitted in 2021, the city started the EIR process in 2022, and the Planning Commission certified the EIR and approved the project on May 5, 2025; the appeal by Arredondo was filed May 15, 2025. With council approval, the city will proceed to coordinate permit conditions with state and federal agencies that have jurisdiction over offshore and coastal work, including the California Coastal Commission, NOAA Fisheries, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.