Occidental Drilling Project

Phyllis Genovese’s letter contains spurious arguments and misleading facts.

As residents of the Palisades for the past two decades, we have participated in the grass-roots battle, along with countless other community-involved persons, to prevent oil drilling and to protect the natural beauty and recreational character of our public beach. Oxy proposes to install up to 100 drilling pumps immediately adjacent to Will Rogers Beach, which annually serves millions of beachgoers, many of whom cannot afford a more distant vacation trip. This area is a unique and valuable public resource that should not be despoiled for the selfish financial interest of a giant oil corporation.

For the last generation, Oxy has been coveting the right to drill alongside the beach because of this location’s proximity to the Santa Monica Bay, which is suspected to contain a huge oil reservoir. Should their suspicions prove founded, it is obvious that the next step will be for Oxy to try to tap into that oil by either direct ocean drilling or by using slant drilling from the Palisades site. Will Rogers Beach will eventually succumb to industrial blight, pollution and overdevelopment if Oxy has its selfish way.

It is indeed twisted reasoning to call James Garner, Ted Danson and No Oil a “small elitist group” because of their determined efforts to protect this recreational beach area.

JOSEPH L. SHALANT

FRANCES T. SHALANT

Pacific Palisades