The state had filed a suit to shut down the Santa Ynez Pipeline.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that the Central California U.S. District Court recently dismissed the state of California’s and environmental groups’ lawsuit that sought to impose restrictions on federally mandated emergency operations of the Santa Ynez Pipeline. The district court confirmed that the March 2026 Defense Production Act order from Energy Secretary Chris Wright, under authority delegated by President Donald Trump, legally preempts state actions to suspend the pipeline’s offshore operations.
“The Santa Ynez Pipeline transports more than one million barrels of domestically produced crude oil per month from offshore wells into California — providing a reliable domestic supply to offset foreign imports and reinforcing the Nation’s energy independence,” the Justice Department explained. “Its continued operation is also essential to maintaining stable fuel supplies for more than 32 U.S. military installations across the West Coast, supporting operational readiness and ensuring these facilities can meet critical national defense requirements.”
The DOJ continued, “The court held that the only agency that should oversee the safety of two segments of the pipeline subject to a federal consent decree is the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and California’s efforts to shut down the pipeline amounted to an attempt to override federal authority and undercut essential national energy priorities.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Wright as he oversees the emergency energy declaration and evaluates the domestic production of oil.
- For Attorney General Blanche to be discerning as he heads the Justice Department and its defense of administration policies.
- For Administrator Paul Roberti as he manages the Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Sources: Department of Justice, LA Times, Discovery Alert
