People Ex Rel. Sneddon v. Torch Energy Services, Inc.

An oil company operates Platform Irene, an oil rig off the Santa Barbara coast. In 1997, a break in the pipeline carrying oil from Platform Irene to the company’s onshore processing facility caused an oil spill. The processing facility was built and began operating in 1987 after receiving permits from the County of Santa Barbara. The permits contained numerous conditions relating to the safe operation of the pipeline.

After the spill, the district attorney and the county filed this action against the oil company and other entities involved in the operation of Platform Irene, alleging that the spill occurred because oil company employees failed to comply with conditions in the permits. The superior court granted a permanent injunction ordering the company to comply with the condition of the permits and assessed civil fines and penalties. The court ruled that even if the permit conditions were preempted by federal law, the company was estopped from challenging their validity because it accepted the benefits of the permits. We affirm.

Facts

The material facts are undisputed. In 1983, Union Oil Company (Unocal) applied to respondent County of Santa Barbara (County) for…