CULVER CITY : Decision on Mobil Oil Pipeline Delayed Again
Culver City has put off for another week a decision on whether to allow Mobil Oil Corp. to run a pipeline through the city.
Mobil Oil is replacing a 92-mile pipeline stretching from oil fields in Kern County to its refinery in Torrance. The 16-inch diameter pipeline will carry an average of 95,000 gallons of crude oil a day, a 50% increase over the old pipeline.
Culver City is the last municipality to stand in the path of the $88-million project. Torrance, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Los Angeles have already awarded franchise agreements to Mobil to operate and maintain the pipeline in their cities.
Culver City and Mobil officials had agreed on a franchise fee and a list of mitigation measures to be taken, but many new questions concerning safety and construction procedures were raised at a public hearing Monday, prompting the council to continue the hearing to next Monday.
The city will earn $64,139 a year if it approves the franchise. Mayor James Boulgarides called the amount “a pittance” compared to what is at stake and pledged not to rush the process.
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