Hodel Pays Attention

Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel is not the most popular fellow in parts of Southern California these days. This is because of the tentative deal that Hodel recently struck with a group of California members of Congress for limited oil and gas exploration and drilling along the coast.

As with most political compromises, not everyone is happy. In particular, some residents and municipal officials of the Santa Monica Bay area, the Palos Verdes Peninsula and coastal Orange County are in an uproar over the specter of giant oil rigs within sight of their shores.

But give Hodel credit: He is not one to cut and run. He will visit the lions’ dens next week to hear complaints and, perhaps, to offer possible solutions. There are hints of potential trade-offs being proposed by local opponents, such as the substitution of lease tracts off Camp Pendleton for some of the more sensitive areas farther north. Hodel has reiterated that the compromise is not final and that he may consider changes. One congressman who was involved in the negotiations said that he expected changes in the Newport Beach and Oceanside areas. Oilmen have made it clear that they will press for access to more offshore acreage.

Hodel spent three days in Northern California this week to gather local comment on the lease plan. He will conduct hearings in Santa Barbara and Ventura on Aug. 29, in Los Angeles and Long Beach on Aug. 30 and in Newport Beach and Oceanside on Aug. 31. In contrast to the past, local protesters will have the direct ear of the man in charge of the leasing program. He will see the coastal areas that the officials want protected.

In fact, Hodel has been on the road since July 31 examining the Interior Department’s extensive holdings and operations in the West. By the time he returns to Washington he will have visited at least 30 towns, cities and parks in 10 states.

James G. Watt, one of Hodel’s predecessors and his former boss, talked a lot about Interior being “a good neighbor” to the West at the same time that he scoffed at many of the concerns of the West, particularly California. Hodel’s immediate predecessor, William Clark, appeared to be indifferent, even though he is a Californian. Hodel at least is making a strenuous effort to understand California’s problems, and that is a welcome change.