HUNTINGTON BEACH : Wetlands Group to Hear Oil Man

Oil and water sometimes do mix. The Amigos de Bolsa Chica, an environmental organization that protects the Bolsa Chica wetlands, now has only praise for the oil companies that still operate in that sensitive ecological area.

A Shell Oil Co. representative, in fact, is the featured speaker at the Amigos’ annual election meeting Jan. 9.

“Shell Western will be giving us a slide presentation on its oil field” in the Bolsa Chica,” said Adrianne Morrison, executive director of the Amigos. “Shell is quite active in upgrading its wells in this area, and this will be about the work they’re doing. We think the oil companies are now very cooperative, especially Shell. We think they’re running very clean operations.”

Victor Leipzig, a former president of the Amigos and currently the executive director of the nonprofit Bolsa Chica Conservancy, similarly had praise for the oil companies that still operate in the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

“We didn’t always get along so well with them,” Leipzig said. But he added, “We think they’re running a pretty tight ship in that area. For the last few years we think the oil companies have been very cooperative. I want to emphasize that we’re not trying to shut the oil wells down in the Bolsa Chica. They can keep on operating until they’re out of production, and we’re told that will be anywhere from five to 20 years.”

The Bolsa Chica wetlands, which is the largest such area in Southern California, is north of the Huntington Beach city limits but is scheduled to be annexed to the city. The Amigos de Bolsa Chica fought for years to keep the land from being developed, and last year reached a compromise with Signal Landmark, the principal landowner.

The Jan. 9 meeting of the Amigos de Bolsa Chica is open to the public, and it will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a potluck supper in Room B-8 of the Huntington Beach Civic Center. Following the meal, the talk by a representative of Shell Western will be at 7:30 p.m.