Rincon Island Being Added to California Coastal Sanctuary

Rincon Island, the rocky “island” jutting offshore just south of La Conchita, was a Greka Energy holding, under the name Rincon Island Limited Partnership, until its bankruptcy trustee quitclaimed the deed on 12/6 for what the State Lands Commission called “substantial regulatory violations” discovered in 2014. When State Lands tried to terminate the leases in order to end “imprudent oil and gas operations,” the partnership filed for bankruptcy. With the ongoing decommissioning of Venoco’s Platform Holly, Rincon Island is the last offshore oil drilling and production facility in the Santa Barbara Channel, according to State Lands. Its associated 1,500 acres will be added to the California Coastal Sanctuary.