The Isla Vista Community Services District unanimously approved a resolution opposing the oil company Sable Offshore’s efforts to restart the Las Flores Pipeline System and gave a report on usage trends for their 24/7 health vending machine at a Feb. 25 board meeting.
Isla Vista Community Services District board director Kylan Hobart presented the resolution against the Sable pipeline. Nexus file photo
In May of 2015, the Las Flores Pipeline burst and spilled an estimated 451,500 gallons of crude oil, resulting in one of the worst oil spills on the California coast in history.
Resolution No. 25-5 opposes the restart of the the pipeline, urging the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to oppose the transportation of oil and Sable’s attempt to “circumvent land-use,” as well as urging all local, state and federal agencies to oppose the restart of the pipeline.
Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) Board Director Kylan Hobart presented the resolution, starting by introducing the historical context of the oil spill, stating that there was “improper surveillance” and that 10 miles — 85% of the pipeline — was corroded due to the combination of cathodic protection and insulation. The oil spill has since caused “irreparable damage to our environment and ecosystems,” according to the resolution. During the process of restarting the pipeline, the Office of the State Fire Marshal granted a waiver for some of the regulations regarding cathodic protection.
IVCSD Director Spencer Brandt emphasized the importance of opposing the oil pipeline, considering the negative effects the oil spill had on the I.V. community, such as tar on the beaches.
“At heart, this is a really simple issue for our community. I remember where I was when I saw the images of oil fouling our beaches, wildlife and marine life that were dead, washed up on shore,” Brandt said. “[It] really affected the ability for our constituents to be able to enjoy the beach, for [UC Santa Barbara] researchers to be able to conduct the research that they do at Coal Oil Point preservatory and other places.”
At the meeting, IVCSD also revealed data on the usage of their health vending machine since it was installed in October at the I.V. Community Center. The vending machine, approved by the IVCSD in December 2023, was funded by Aegis, a local opiate addiction treatment center, and the Pacific Pride Foundation, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization. IVCSD provides the power and internet for the vending machine budgeted at $1,500, with $5,760 spent on staff time including oversight, restocking and outreach per fiscal year.
Items available in the vending machine include naloxone nasal spray, more commonly known as Narcan, fentanyl test strips, sexually transmitted infection and human immunodeficiency virus test kits, safe syringe kits and emergency contraceptives.
The machine tracks demographic data from users who fill out a survey while using the machine including their age, zip code, race, gender and number of times they’ve used the machine, unless they type in a code for emergency Narcan. IVCSD data analyst intern and fourth-year computer science and psychological & brain sciences double major David Jr Sim and IVCSD Assistant General Manager Sydney Castañeda presented the data and evaluated which demographics used the vending machine, at what times and which items they accessed.
The majority of users were between 18-28 years old. 37% were male, 48% were female, 5% were nonbinary and 10% reported no gender. Out of 300 total users, people who identified as Hispanic made up the largest group with roughly 90 users, followed by roughly 70 Asian users and roughly 60 white users.
Most users have only used the vending machine once, with less than 100 return-users. Sim said the vending machine saw a spike in traction in November, with over 120 transactions in November and December combined.
Out of 300 total transactions, emergency contraceptives were the most popular product with 95 taken, followed by safe syringe kits with 77 taken across the two sizes. Peak usage times were 2 a.m., 6 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
On average, the machine was restocked 8-15 times per month, depending on demand. Emergency contraceptives, Narcan and syringe kits were replenished the most.
Castañeda concluded by announcing Standing Together to End Sexual Assault, a non-profit organization that provides services to survivors of sexual assault, is partnering with the IVCSD to partner in supplying drink testing kits that can test for ketamine and gamma-hydroxybutyrate. 100 drink test kits would cost $900, meaning the budget for the 2025-26 year would have to increase to $2,400.
A version of this article appeared on p. 3 of the Mar. 6, 2025 edition of the Daily Nexus.
