Though the information meeting on the Inglewood Oil Field Environmental Impact Report (EIR) does not occur until tonight, some Culver City residents and politicians have already called for an extension on the public review period. This period is currently set to close on November 14, giving community members, such as Martin Feinberg, Culver City Realtor, just 14 days to make informed comments.
Per a community information flyer, “The Inglewood Oil Field (IOF) has been part of the Culver City community since the 1920s. The 1,000-acre IOF straddles the City of Culver City and Baldwin Hills area of unincorporated L.A. County. About 78 of those acres are within City limits. The Specific Plan covers the City IOF, which is at the northern end of the oil field along the eastern side of Culver City, adjacent to the Blair Hills neighborhood and neighborhoods along the Jefferson Boulevard corridor4. If adopted, the Specific Plan would allow drilling of up to 30 new wells over a 15-year period and regulate the management (through required ongoing monitoring and reporting) of oil production operations until the city IOF is closed.”
Those requesting an extension—which was asked for at last Monday’s City Council meeting—want to extend the public review period for an additional 60 days. They believe that the document is too large and complex for most people to read and understand in the current period provided.
The general argument in favor of an extension dealt with giving residents a chance to both be informed and also get involved. According to Tom Camarella and Daniel Lee, the City’s decisions concerning the Inglewood Oil Filed will affect citizens for decades, impacting Culver City Real Estate property values, the environment, and even children’s health. Aura Walker was concerned that the EIR did not mention any fire risk.
However, not everyone was in favor of extending the public review period because of concerns that doing so would greatly delay the work. It would also extend the issue into a period when new council members would be coming in, which could lead to further delays.
Martin Feinberg, Realtor, was interested to learn that ultimately, the Mayor and majority of City Council members chose to wait to make any decisions regarding the length of the public review period until after tonight’s meeting. At that time, an extension may be provided if it is deemed necessary.
