Santa Clarita OKs Independent Look at Tenneco Plant

An independent consultant will soon begin assessing whether a plant Tenneco Oil Co. is building in Newhall will pose any environmental danger.

Under an agreement approved Thursday night, the Santa Clarita City Council will select a consultant to study the cogeneration plant under construction near Sierra Highway and Placerita Canyon Road. ARCO Oil and Gas Co., which purchased Tenneco last year, will pay up to $25,000 for the study to be completed March 27.

After the council had approved the agreement, City Manager George Caravalho said a consultant should be selected in two weeks.

City Atty. Carl K. Newton said Friday that Tenneco proposed the study to relieve the fears of council members and Placerita Canyon residents who said the plant could pollute the air and ground water. The company plans to inject steam in the ground to help recover oil and then funnel the steam into generators to produce electricity.

The city ordered Tenneco to stop building the plant Sept. 1, saying that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works violated a city moratorium last year when it issued permits to Tenneco to build the plant. Tenneco sued. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge declared the permits legal and lifted the stop-work order last month.

The city is appealing the judge’s ruling, but Newton said the environmental study could lead to a settlement between the city and Tenneco.