The Los Angeles City Council this morning approved Councilmember
Bernard C. Parks’ motion asking the Environmental Affairs Dept.,
Bureau of Engineering, Planning Dept. and Chief Legislative Analyst
to review the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District Draft
Environmental Impact Report .
Mr. Parks’ motion also included an assessment of the project’s impact to
the local community and to present its findings and comments to the Council
for adoption and ultimate submission to the County’s
Regional Planning Commission by the end date of public comment period, Aug. 19.
The motion also asks the City Attorney for options and legal parameters
the city of Los Angeles can use to institute a moratorium on the expansion of
oil drilling because of the impact on local residents.
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From left, George Mallory, Ladera resident; David McNeil, Baldwin
Hills Conservancy; Scott Zeidman, Culver City School Board member;
John Kuechle, Culver Crest resident; Councilman Parks; Mehaul O’Leary, Culver
City City Councilman; Dee Allen, G.M. Environmental Affairs Dept.; Ken Kutcher, Culver Crest
resident; Reginald Jones-Sawyer, former Baldwin Hills Conservancy
President.
The move is designed to examine the city’s alternatives as neighbors in Culver Crest along with Baldwin
Hills area residents are dealing with the possible
expansion of Plains, Exploration & Production Co., PXP, which
extracts 9,000 barrels of oil and natural gas from their neighborhoods
each day.
PXP is planning to add new wells, potentially one every week
or so for the next 20 years.
Addressing Expansion
Meanwhile, some residents of Baldwin Hills, Ladera Heights, Windsor
Hills, Culver Crest and View Park aren’t thrilled at what they see as
a possible increased invasion. Many want a cap on the oil production,
and the land eventually turned into a park.
Mr. Parks, who is in a race with state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas for
a seat on the County Board of Supervisors, which holds the final vote,
lived in the Windsor Hills area for nearly 30 years.
Now residing in Baldwin Hills, he says, “It’s time to find out once and for
all everything that would be associated with PXP’s desired expansion.
“The first thing I will look at is how it will affect the residents. I
commend Supervisor Yvonne Burke for her care for the environment and her
diligence in bringing an orderly process to a very complex issue. She
has provided an open forum for the community. Now, they can offer input
on this very important matter.”
