Long Scapegoat
Lucrative unintended consequences
In Long Scapegoats, I disclosed my SOC idea. It hasn’t been a smooth path since then.
Earlier today, California State Parks disclosed that,
California State Parks has granted Pacific Pipeline Company (a SOC subsidiary) a Right of Entry permit to perform maintenance on its existing pipeline within a designated area of Gaviota State Park. This permit authorizes contractors to access the site to conduct maintenance, inspections, testing, and repairs on 18 sections of the pipeline. Please note that this permit is strictly for maintenance purposes and does not authorize the pipeline to resume operation.
Work is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 12, 2025, and will involve the presence of construction equipment in the park. To ensure public safety during this time, State Parks will temporarily close three backcountry trail segments while the maintenance is underway. The work is expected to last approximately two weeks.
The term of the permit is from May 8 through August 8, 2025, or until the project is completed—whichever comes first. For context, the original 30-year easement for the pipeline expired in 2016. Since that time, State Parks has issued individual permits for necessary maintenance on the existing offline pipeline. Any future requests for maintenance access will continue to be reviewed through this same permitting process. However, it is important to note that the pipeline company must obtain a new easement from State Parks in order to restart pipeline operations.
By California standards, this is a breakthrough, allowing the company to fix their pipes in preparation to reopen.