I spoke to the City Council last night on regarding their decision to hold a moratorium on new oil drilling by PXP that now will extend through next Aug. 23.
The setting reminded me of the old comedy team Laurel and Hardy. The scene is where they once again get into trouble and Hardy moans to Laurel, “That’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into.”
The City Council’s decision to put a moratorium on environmentally safe oil drilling is the continuing saga of ineptness hiding under the false mantra of “in the interest of public health and safety.”
This ineptness is costing the taxpayers over $500,000 in frivolous litigation and legal fees with hundreds of thousands of dollars more in future legal fees while the City Council is looking at a $69 million deficit.
If it was really about a “public health and safety “ issue, why doesn’t the city shut down the existing wells in Culver City that are pumping oil?
The city is collecting over $200,000 a year from existing oil wells in Culver City. Doesn’t it seem hypocritical that the city is collecting $200,000, then spends more than $500,000 to stop oil drilling?
The only people benefiting from all this are the lawyers. As we all know, when lawyers get involved in anything, they tend to exacerbate a problem instead of trying to fix it.
Instead of having two parties sit down at a table to iron out their differences, lawyers instruct their clients not to talk to the other side. The lawyers jack up the fees and are quite content to see litigation drag on.
There was a time when the oil drilling company PXP got along with people in the Culver Crest community. I’m told by a Culver Crest resident that PXP used to hold barbeques, and it was pretty open about discussing issues —until a couple of knee- jerk anti-oil activists and their lawyers got involved.
The City Council has voted to extend the moratorium for 10 more months and 15 days.
The reason is not health and safety issues, as they claimed, but because of a vocal minority’s unfounded opposition to environmentally safe oil drilling that is being regulated by the EPA, California Air Resources Board, Southern California Air Quality Management District and other regulatory agencies.
The City Council should end their frivolous litigation against PXP, stop wasting our taxpayer money, and give the savings to the Culver City Unified School District, which is currently running a $3 million deficit.
Mr. Zirgulis, a candidate for the School Board in the Nov. 3 election, may be contacted at zirgulisr@yahoo.com
