3 Cities File Suits to Block Planned Angeles Pipeline

In a wave of legal challenges to the proposed Angeles Pipeline, Los Angeles and two other cities along the planned route filed separate lawsuits Tuesday in hopes of blocking construction of the $225-million project.

The suits--filed by Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale--allege that an environmental impact report on the controversial project was inadequate and challenged the building of the 135-mile crude-oil pipeline from Kern County to Los Angeles Basin refineries.

In addition to those cities, the Tejon Ranch Co., which owns property along the pipeline route, also filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Angeles Pipeline claiming “an adverse effect on public health and the environment.”

Only a day earlier, the Metropolitan Water District filed a similar suit as the public agencies and the private company sought to beat today’s deadline to legally challenge the EIR. That report had been approved in August by Caltrans and the U.S. Forest Service, the two lead government agencies on the project.

But Los Angeles Deputy City Atty. William Waterhouse claimed that the report failed to adequately address earthquake danger, noise pollution and the effect on air quality, water quality and traffic.

In its suit, Burbank also voiced concern about air quality and groundwater contamination. And Glendale officials contended that the report does not give enough attention to the effect of potential oil spills on ground water and soil and the effect that oil refining would have on local air quality.

“All three cities are sending a message loud and clear that they (pipeline proponents) haven’t done their homework,” Glendale City Councilman Carl W. Raggio said.

While Caltrans officials defended the EIR, Allen F. Swanson, a spokesman for the consortium of oil companies proposing the pipeline, said the report “adequately demonstrates that the pipeline is the least damaging way to transport the crude oil. . . .”

The pipeline is being pushed by a consortium of oil companies--Shell Oil Co., Chevron Pipe Line Co., Texaco Refining & Marketing Inc., and the Four Corners Pipe Line Co., an Arco subsidiary. It is designed to transport 330,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Kern County to harbor-area refineries.