Public Notice – Removal of Soil from Pier Caissons Impacted by Crude Oil

The California State Lands Commission plans to decommission the pier structures known as Pier 421-1 and Pier 421-2. The piers formerly supported two oil wells in the surf zone south of the Sandpiper Golf Course in the City of Goleta. The wells, now permanently plugged, are located within sheet pile and concrete caisson structures. The caissons contain soil fill that is known to contain crude oil contaminants. Removing this fill will be the first step in the pier removal process. The Commission is drafting an Environmental Impact Report for the project in cooperation with other federal, state, and local authorities.

The Commission submitted a Remedial Action Plan to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. The Remedial Action Plan describes the removal method for the hydrocarbon impacted fill materials from the PRC 421 caissons and the proper transport and disposal of these materials consistent with State and County regulatory regulations. The Commission, as part of the permitting process, seeks approval from Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to complete the work in accordance with the Remedial Action Plan.

The decommissioning work is anticipated to begin in Spring 2022. The soils removal portion of this process is estimated to take 60 to 90 days to complete.