Two oil docks set to be removed at Haskell’s Beach

GOLETA, Calif. — A six-month process to remove the last two oil piers from Haskell’s Beach to Goleta will begin Monday, marking the end of the Ellwood oil field which began production in the late 1920s and continued until in the 1990s.

“It’s a truly momentous occasion,” said Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte. “This project, the culmination of a multi-year partnership between Goleta and the state, will remove two dilapidated and abandoned structures that mar our beautiful coastline. Their removal is a major step in ending the legacy of fossil fuel development in Santa Barbara County.

At one time, the Haskell’s Beach area was home to 13 major piers and major oil storage and processing facilities immediately ashore.

“These two abandoned structures represent the last remnants of dock-based oil and gas production in California and their removal is a major milestone for the region and the state,” said State Comptroller Chairwoman Betty T. Yee. and the State Lands Commission.

“The removal of these piers is one of many decommissioning projects the Commission is leading as part of California’s transition to a fossil fuel-free future.”

Beginning Monday, August 29, crews will work Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. to decommission the pier and caisson structures, known as PRC 42101 and 421-2. Some work may be scheduled outside of these hours due to the location of the facility’s surf zone, according to Goleta officials.

Approximately 500 truckloads of materials from the dismantling will be transported to an approved recycling and disposal facility.

Sections of Haskell Beach may be temporarily closed to ensure public safety during the six-month process, but the beach will otherwise remain open. Removal of piles and caissons will require accessing equipment along the beach during low tide, according to city officials.

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