(WBAP/KLIF) — A proposed oil pipeline in California is expected to enter a critical phase of its government review next year. If approved, the move would allow ExxonMobil to resume production at three offshore platforms.
The $300 million project by Houston-based plains All American Pipeline would replace a line near Santa Barbara that was shut down in 2015 after a rupture. the result was the worst California coastal oil spill in 25 years.
Amid the worry over climate change, the debate is taking place amid a reckoning in California over its continued reliance on fossil fuels. The state is banning all small gas powered engines by 2024 and plans to eliminate all gas powered vehicles by 2035 in efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption.
Democratic U.S. Senator Alex Padilla says he opposes the proposal due to environmental risks, while the company says a new pipeline will be safe.
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