Santa Barbara Channel Coastal Hazards Removal Program and Goleta Beach Caisson Remediation, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, California
Project Name: Santa Barbara Channel Coastal Hazards Removal Program and Goleta Beach Caisson Remediation, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, California Services: Coastal Facility Permitting and CEQA Client: California State Lands Commission/ExxonMobil
Padre provided CEQA documentation and permitting assistance to the California State Lands Commission’s (CSLC) for their comprehensive Santa Barbara Channel Coastal Hazards Removal Program. This program involved the identification of coastal hazards including pier pilings, pipelines, power cables and wells along the coastline of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Decommissioning plans were prepared for each of the identified hazards with the assistance of a demolition contractor. Once these decommissioning plans were completed, Padre conducted a site-specific review and environmental analysis of the potential impacts associated with the proposed activities. Based upon this analysis, an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) was prepared.
As part of the Santa Barbara Channel Coastal Hazards Removal Program, ExxonMobil conducted a project that involved removal of remnants of previously abandoned exploratory drilling piers on a public beach west of Santa Barbara, California. These remnants included steel reinforced concrete drilling foundations and steel and wood piling stubs. These exposed steel members were considered by ExxonMobil and the CSLC to be a public safety hazard.
Working with the CSLC, ExxonMobil and its demolition contractor, Padre prepared and submitted supporting permit applications to the California Coastal Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, RWQCB and the County of Santa Barbara. The applications included a detailed description of the remedial actions being proposed, as well as supporting environmental information needed by the agencies to process the applications. Key issues associated with this project included the need to cross an environmentally sensitive slough mouth with heavy equipment as well as working with heavy equipment on a public beach within the constraints of tidal action and daylight conditions. Once permits were received for the project, Padre provided onsite environmental compliance monitoring for the project and site restoration services.
Padre will be working with the CSLC in 2019 to identify additional hazards along the coast for future removal.