LOS ANGELES (KEYT) – On Thursday, a federal judge granted a request by environmental groups to disclose records generated by the Trump Administration regarding a restart of oil production locally.

"The Court ORDERS Federal Defendants to complete the record with all external agency communications— including but not limited to all records of correspondence, emails, chats, meeting notes, memos—regarding the Santa Ynez Unit between April 19, 2024, and May 29, 2025, the date that BSEE [U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement] issued its 2025 Decision on the lease extensions for the Santa Ynez Unit," stated a decision by U.S. District Judge Michelle Williams on Thursday. "This shall include all external communications directly and indirectly considered by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) in connection with its 2025 Decision and Environmental Assessment/ Finding of No Significant Impact (EA/FONSI) on the lease extensions for the Santa Ynez Unit."

Thursday's court order requires the federal agency to comply with the records release within 60 days.

In 2024, court documents show that Sable secured a $622,000,000 loan from ExxonMobil to fund the purchase of offshore and onshore oil production infrastructure that is collectively referred to as the Santa Ynez Unit.

The entire Santa Ynez Unit was shut down after onshore pipeline Line 901 ruptured in May of 2015, spilling at least 100,000 gallons of crude oil that impacted 150 miles of California coastline.

In June of 2024, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Wishtoyo Foundation sued the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement after the federal agency extended leases for the Santa Ynez Unit required to restart oil production.

The plaintiffs argued that the federal government failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act when it failed to conduct a legally required environmental review nor a proper national-interest determination.

Plaintiffs requested a summary judgement from the District Judge on their claims instead of heading to trial, but in late May of 2025, the federal government reconsidered its lease extensions at the Santa Ynez Unit and prepared an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact.

"BSEE conducted a Categorical Exclusion Review (CER) of Exxon’s October 2023 lease extension request to resume production," stated the federal Environmental Assessment issued in May of 2025. "[T]his Environmental Assessment serves to provide a more indepth analysis of the environmental impacts associated with the lease extension request."

That environmental review and the communications amongst federal regulators as well as between the Trump Administ

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Emergency crews helped after a three-car crash on Miramonte Drive in Santa Barbara just after 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Your News Channel arrived to find a black Porsche convertible near a curb, a white car that had hit a tree blocking the sidewalk, and another white Honda in the middle of the road.

Both the Santa Barbara City Fire and Police Departments had personnel on scene alongside an AMR unit.

There is no current update on any injuries and more information will be provided as it becomes available to Your News Channel.

The post Crews help after three-car crash in Santa Barbara appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (KEYT) - A significant stretch of hot weather has arrived this week to the Central Coast, with temperatures expected to be close to or rise above record numbers for this time of year.

Still, even as thermometers soar this week, local fire agencies are indicating the risk of wildfire will remain relatively safe.

"In San Luis Obispo County, we have had a pretty robust grass growth crop this season," said Luke Bourgault, San Luis Obispo County Fire Department/CAL FIRE Battalion Chief. "Due to that seasonal rainfall that we have had, the live fuel moisture of the vegetation, the grasses and brush remain relatively high, creating a low risk for wildfire."

Bourgault added another helping factor is the lack of severe fire conditions that can dramatically increase the odds for a wildfire to start.

"The Central Coast this week is looking to be up into the high double digits, but so far there's no potential for any type of Red Flag Warnings as of yet, but we will have some windier and warmer conditions through the week," said Bourgault. "Although the wildfire risk is low, the heat wave this week is going to bring some associated dangers such as heat injury, so be careful when you're outside engaging in outdoor activities and chores. We heads up for heat injury." 

With the lack of increase in fire risk, Bourgault noted staffing levels will remain at normal levels and fire crews will use the time to prepare for the future.

"This period of the year, CAL FIRE is typically engaging in fire preparedness exercises and activities, beginning to look at hiring and up staffing as the season progresses and preparing our crews and equipment for fire season," said Bourgault. "The mid-term outlook between now and June, for fire seasons, you're going to see a drying trend in the vegetation and that's going to continue into May, late May and into June before we'll see some wildfire activity at that time."

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The post Wildfire Risk Remaining Low Even as Temperatures Soar to Near Record Numbers This Week appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (KEYT) - A significant stretch of hot weather has arrived this week to the Central Coast, with temperatures expected to be close to or rise above record numbers for this time of year.

Still, even as thermometers soar this week, local fire agencies are indicating the risk of wildfire will remain relatively safe.

"In San Luis Obispo County, we have had a pretty robust grass growth crop this season," said Luke Bourgault, San Luis Obispo County Fire Department/CAL FIRE Battalion Chief. "Due to that seasonal rainfall that we have had, the live fuel moisture of the vegetation, the grasses and brush remain relatively high, creating a low risk for wildfire."

Bourgault added another helping factor is the lack of severe fire conditions that can dramatically increase the odds for a wildfire to start.

"The Central Coast this week is looking to be up into the high double digits, but so far there's no potential for any type of Red Flag Warnings as of yet, but we will have some windier and warmer conditions through the week," said Bourgault. "Although the wildfire risk is low, the heat wave this week is going to bring some associated dangers such as heat injury, so be careful when you're outside engaging in outdoor activities and chores. We heads up for heat injury." 

With the lack of increase in fire risk, Bourgault noted staffing levels will remain at normal levels and fire crews will use the time to prepare for the future.

"This period of the year, CAL FIRE is typically engaging in fire preparedness exercises and activities, beginning to look at hiring and up staffing as the season progresses and preparing our crews and equipment for fire season," said Bourgault. "The mid-term outlook between now and June, for fire seasons, you're going to see a drying trend in the vegetation and that's going to continue into May, late May and into June before we'll see some wildfire activity at that time."

The post Wildfire Risk Remaining Low Even as Temperatures Soar to Near Record Numbers This Week appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

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