Surfrider hosts paddle out at Refugio

Surfrider Foundation hosted a paddle-out protest at Refugio State Beach on May 17, drawing nearly 100 people to the water to oppose offshore oil drilling and mark the 11th anniversary of the 2015 Refugio oil spill. Santa Barbara News-Press reported that participants launched surfboards and other paddlecraft and staged a coordinated ceremony offshore. Surfrider’s Santa Barbara chapter said the event was also meant to call for “no new offshore oil drilling” off California and to oppose the restart of the Las Flores pipeline system through Santa Barbara County. ### Why did Surfrider hold the paddle-out at Refugio? Surfrider’s Santa Barbara chapter said the May 17 event was tied directly to the anniversary of the Plains All American pipeline rupture near Refugio State Beach on May 19, 2015. The chapter said the spill sent more than 120,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean and killed marine mammals and birds while shutting down fisheries and recreation in the area. (newspress.com) KCLU reported before the event that the protest was also aimed at the restart of the pipeline that ruptured and at the prospect of new offshore drilling. Surfrider said on its event page that participants were being asked to oppose both new offshore drilling off California and the restart of the Las Flores pipeline system. (santabarbara.surfrider.org) ### What happened on the water? Santa Barbara News-Press reported that nearly 100 people gathered at Refugio State Beach for the action. Surfrider’s event notice had said paddlers would head 100 to 200 yards offshore and form a circle around 9:30 a.m., using any human-powered paddlecraft, including surfboards, paddleboards and kayaks. (kclu.org) KCLU reported ahead of the event that hundreds were expected and that people could take part using surfboards, kayaks or other human-powered craft. The Surfrider notice also invited non-paddlers to stay on the beach with signs and encouragement. ### Which oil project were organizers targeting? (newspress.com) Surfrider said the action was directed in part at the Las Flores pipeline system through Santa Barbara County. The group said Sable had bought the corroded pipeline involved in the 2015 spill and got it restarted while a federal oil leasing plan targets the Santa Barbara Channel. (kclu.org) The Santa Barbara Independent, previewing the event on May 14, said participants were gathering to oppose the reactivation of pipelines and platforms used to move offshore oil and to say “No to Offshore Oil Drilling.” That report said the event included environmental groups, students, tribal leaders and community members. (santabarbara.surfrider.org) ### Who organized the demonstration? Surfrider’s event page listed the Surfrider Foundation’s Santa Barbara County chapter and UCSB student club among the organizers. It also named the Environmental Defense Center, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Sierra Club, Fearless Grandmothers, UCSB Environmental Affairs Board, Oceana, Center for Biological Diversity and Get Oil Out as partners. (independent.com) Ventura Breeze’s event listing named several expected speakers, including Mia Lopez of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, Zach Plopper of the Environmental Defense Center and Alex Katz, along with UCSB students and business leaders from Patagonia and the Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast. (santabarbara.surfrider.org) ### What comes next after the paddle-out? May 19 marks the 11th anniversary of the Refugio spill that organizers said the event was commemorating. Surfrider’s published materials keep the focus on opposition to new offshore drilling in California waters and on the Las Flores pipeline system through Santa Barbara County, with the Santa Barbara chapter and its partner groups named as the participants in that next phase of advocacy. (venturabreeze.com) (santabarbara.surfrider.org)