ENB Pub Note: This article is from Noozhawk in Santa Barbara, and was written by George Harmer. George was on the ENB podcast with Stu Turley and Steve Hilton, the Governor Candidate for California. Gavin Newsom’s energy policies have crippled California and are a National Security risk for the United States.
Santa Barbara has long been known as the “American Riviera,” drawing millions of visitors each year to its pristine beaches, vibrant harbor and coastal businesses.
But the decision to halt new oil permits in California could have an unintended consequence: increasing natural oil seeps along the Santa Barbara County coastline.
If that occurs, the very lifeblood of the local economy — tourism and small businesses — will be placed at risk.
Natural Seeps an Overlooked Reality
Santa Barbara County sits atop one of the most seep-prone petroleum basins in the world. Long before modern oil production, natural hydrocarbons leaked from the seabed, coating beaches with tar balls and polluting waters.
While offshore production has historically reduced pressure and helped control seep activity, limiting new permits means less managed extraction.
That, in turn, allows pressure to build underground — forcing oil and gas to escape naturally through seeps.
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Who Pays the Price?
When seeps increase, the results are visible and immediate: blackened sand, tar-streaked waves and dead fish washing ashore.
This damages Santa Barbara’s hard-earned reputation as a clean, world-class coastal destination.
Tourists who come for clean sandy beaches, wine tasting and boutique hotels are unlikely to return if they spend their vacations scraping tar from their feet or swimming in oily surf.
The economic impact is not abstract.
Tourism contributes billions of dollars annually to Santa Barbara County. It supports more than 15,000 jobs and generates $82.9 million in tax revenue, sustaining restaurants, hotels, retail shops, fishing charters and recreational businesses.
If seeps intensify due to reduced oil management, these businesses — many of them family-owned — stand to lose their customer base.
The fallout would ripple through the local workforce, which depends heavily on service-sector jobs tied to tourism.
Irony in Energy Policy
Shutting down oil permits in the name of environmental protection may backfire in Santa Barbara.
Instead of cleaner beaches and healthier ecosystems, the community could face the opposite: worsening tar pollution and ecological disruption caused by unmanaged natural seepage.
Meanwhile, California will still rely on foreign crude imports shipped from thousands of miles away, producing higher emissions from tankers and driving up local fuel costs.
Protecting Economy, Environment
A balanced approach is possible. Responsible oil production, paired with continuous monitoring, can actually reduce the pressure that drives seeps while generating local tax revenue that funds schools, roads and public services.
By maintaining managed energy operations in Santa Barbara County, the community safeguards both its environment and its economic backbone.
Tourism and energy production are often seen as competing forces in Santa Barbara County, but in reality, they are intertwined.
Shutting down oil permits threatens not only California’s energy security but also the very beaches that attract millions of visitors.
If policy decisions continue to ignore the role of controlled extraction in preventing natural seepage, Santa Barbara risks trading its thriving tourism economy for oil-stained sands — and that is a price local businesses cannot afford.
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