Previously, “Neighbors Resume Chase of PXP to Learn Their Drilling Plans for This Year”
Today is the deadline for the community to file responses to the 2009 Drilling Plan filed by Plains, Exploration & Production Co., PXP, in the Baldwin Hills.
The letter below, written by Bethany Ulrich, needs to be posted on the city’s website and sent to the email lists of those who read this.
Even after today’s deadline for comments on the Drilling Plan, we need to make our point:
Stop Playing Games with Us and Do What Is Right.
We must let officials know that we the people are as powerful as PXP.
Here is the Ulrich letter:
Greetings to the Greater Baldwin Hills Alliance: GBHA:
A Call to Action.
BACKGROUND:
The battle for a better Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Community Standards District (CSD) is playing out in the courts. In the meantime, we want to ensure the County is correctly implementing the current CSD and still involving the community every step of the way.
Thursday March 26, 2009, was the first convening of the Community Advisory Panel (CAP), instituted by the Baldwin Hills CSD passed in October 2008. The full list of CAP members, chosen by the staff of the Department of Regional Planning (DRP) and facilitated by them can be viewed here.[img]446|exact|Baldwin Hills CSD||no_popup[/img] At this meeting, the community heard mentioned for the first time of the 2009 Drilling, Redrilling, Well Abandonment Plan, which is supposed to outline all the activities on the field for 2009.
As part of the Baldwin Hills CSD that was passed in October 2008, the PXP was to create 2009 Drilling, Redrilling, Well Abandonment Plan by the end of January. DRP and the public were supposed to have 45 days to review and comment. The full document will not be completely posted until today (Friday, April 3),and comments are due (by today). This would leave less than two business days to review and comment. This is an unacceptable repeat of past instances of not allowing adequate time of review for the EIR and CSD.
Members of GBHA will be submitting comments on the 2009 Drilling, Redrilling, Well Abandonment Plan, among which is PXP’s failure to identify a specific schedule for the 24 wells they are allowed for 2009. Instead, PXP has vaguely cited 40 possible sites, the time schedule and place of the 24 to be determined at a later date. This means PXP may cluster all the wells in one spot and not be accountable for the effects of such a plan.
CALL TO ACTION:
1) View Drilling Plan: 2009 Drilling, Redrilling, Well Abandonment Plan and submit comments to Lfreeman@planning.lacounty.gov by 5pm Monday April 6.
2) Contact our Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas to state objection to short notice and lack of access to important Baldwin Hills Oil field planning documents and desire for a better notification system to be in place.
a. Markridley-thomas@bos.lacounty.gov
b. 213.974.2222
The next Community Advisory Panel meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, from 7 to 9 p.m., at a location to be announced.
Bethany Ulrich
Intern Community Liaison
Community Health Councils, Inc.
323.295.9372, ext. 223.
3731 Stocker St., Suite 201
Los Angeles, CA 90008
Ms. Ulrich may be contacted at bulrich@chc-inc.org
Ms. DeBenedittis may be contacted at debenedittis@sbcglobal.net
