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T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 4 , 2 0 21
County panel rejects ExxonMobil plan By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
A group of anti-mandate protestors march down State Street in downtown Santa Barbara. Many participants are part of UnifySB, an organization of Santa Barbara Unified School District staff and advocates fighting the district’s mandate.
Teachers join protest Unvaccinated SB Unified staff participate in rally against decision to put them on unpaid leave, hire an attorney
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted 3-2 Wednesday to recommend denial of ExxonMobil’s proposal to transport oil by tanker trucks along California highways. If approved, the plan would help ExxonMobil restart three drilling platforms off the coast of Santa Barbara. On Sept. 29, the commission made a conceptual decision to recommend denial. Wednesday’s vote finalized that recommendation. The commission’s recommendation will now go to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors for a final decision. Planning commissioners recommended denial due to projected impacts to biological, water and cultural resources in the event of a spill, as well as the proposed trucking’s other impacts on health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. In the time between the planning commission’s votes, California has seen an oil spill off Huntington Beach, where more than 126,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean. In addition to the oil spill, California saw an oil tanker truck accident and fire in Santa Maria as well as the Alisal Fire, which shut down Highway 101, the area’s main evacuation route for over a week. The fire also
threatened ExxonMobil’s Los Flores Canyon oil processing facility. “Even before the Santa Maria tanker truck accident, the fire near ExxonMobil’s onshore facilities, and the horrific offshore oil spill in southern California, the majority of commissioners rightly decided to deny ExxonMobil’s proposal to restart its offshore oil platforms and truck crude oil along scenic and dangerous county highways,” said Linda Krop, chief counsel of the Environmental Defense Center, which represents Get Oil Out! and Santa Barbara County Action Network. “We applaud the commission’s vote against ExxonMobil’s project, which puts the safety of our communities, climate and coastlines first.” If approved, Exxon Mobil’s proposal would have up to 24,800 oil-filled truck’s on Highway 101 and State Route 166, seven days a week, 24 hours a day for up to seven years or until a new coastal oil pipeline is completed. According to data from the California Highway Patrol, between 2015 and 2021 there were 258 trucking accidents along the route resulting in 10 deaths and 110 injuries. In March 2020 a tanker truck crashed off of State Route 166, spilling more than 4,500 gallons of oil into the Cuyama River above the Twitchell Reservoir. ExxonMobil officials have defended their proposal Please see EXXONMOBIL on A4
Vaccine available for ages 5-11 By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Wednesday’s protest was part of a larger movement called the Worldwide Walkout, which encouraged people to call in sick and rally in places of high visibility. At right, a diner at Joe’s Cafe cheers at the marchers on State Street.
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Teachers, parents and students from the Santa Barbara Unified School District saturated a medical freedom rally Wednesday outside Santa Barbara City Hall. The group protested the district’s decision to place unvaccinated staff on unpaid leave. As of Monday, “a handful of employees” are on unpaid leave, according to the district. A total of 90 employees have requested deferrals or exemptions based on medical reasons or sincerely held religious beliefs. A group of SB Unified staff members, along with advocates, formed a group named UnifySB and hired an attorney. “SBUSD has given them two choices: (1) take the COVID-19 vaccine against their wishes, thereby waiving their
constitutional rights to the free exercise of religion and civil rights under employment law; or (2) face unpaid leave and eventual future termination. However, UnifySB, and the employees it represents, have chosen a third option: to fight for their rights in the court of law,” the group’s lawyer Tony Black, of Tyler & Bursch LLP, said in a statement. A teacher, who requested to remain anonymous, said he expects that employees who requested a religious exemption will be placed on unpaid leave Dec. 17. In a letter sent to unvaccinated employees Sept. 24, the district said human-resources personnel would consult with those requesting exemptions. “Human Resources will conduct an interactive process meeting to determine the validity of the request and if there is a reasonable
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accommodation that can be made,” the letter said. But the teacher who spoke with the News-Press Wednesday said he has yet to be contacted and does not know of anyone who has been engaged in an interactive process. SB Unified’s public information officer Camie Barnwell refused to comment on UnifySB Wednesday. Earlier, she sent the following statement to the News-Press: “HR will work with those who requested exemptions on their unique exemption request and any possible accommodations. These employees will continue to report to their current work assignment until a final decision is made or utilize their District-provided benefit time. We care about each and every employee in our district, and continue to focus on keeping our students and staff healthy and safe and IN school.” Unvaccinated employees
were sent a survey they were required to submit by Sept. 27 that gave eight options to describe their vaccination status such as vaccination in progress, requesting medical exemption, requesting religious exemption, would like to resign and refusal. One choice said the following: “I will not be getting vaccinated, knowing that I could be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.” The survey did not allow employees to type in a response. Nate Johnson, a woodshop teacher at Dos Pueblos High School, answered the survey, aware of the risks. But he thought he would be consulted by human resources. “I was a bit surprised that they told me it was coming and then didn’t say anything to me Please see RALLY on A4
Local distribution has begun of the newly approved COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5-11. “Protecting our children has been a community priority throughout this pandemic. We are elated to now offer them the protection of a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, the Santa Barbara County public health director. “With pediatric vaccines becoming available in our community, we highly encourage parents and caregivers to get their children fully vaccinated,” she said in a statement Wednesday. “As the holiday season continues, let’s do everything we can to ensure the safety of our kids.” Local distribution of the vaccines has started with fullscale availability anticipated the week of Nov. 8, according to a news release from the county Public Health Department. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the vaccine Tuesday. Vaccines will be available at pediatric healthcare provider offices, pharmacies, and through community events at schools and other venues. For more information, see www. publichealthsbc.org/vaccine or call 2-1-1. The vaccine is one-third the adult dose, and Pzifer told an
FDA advisory panel last week that its clinical trials show it’s 90.7% effective. No serious side effects were reported in the study of more than 3,000 children, ages 5-11. Smaller needles, designed specifically for children, will be used. “In clinical trials, vaccine side effects were mild, self-limiting and similar to those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children,” the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department said in its news release. “The most common side effect was a sore arm.” To complete the vaccine series, children will receive a second shot of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine three weeks after their first shot. “We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated.” email: dmason@newspress.com
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L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 0-4-9-9
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 5-10-26-58-65 Meganumber: 9
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 6-28-31-32-33
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 10-06-04 Time: 1:48.90
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Sudoku................... B3 Sports . .................... A3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 8-0-6 / Wednesday’s Midday 9-4-0