Southeast Area : Oil Pipeline Project Facing Hurdles at Local Level

The Huntington Park City Council, citing economic and environmental concerns, has gone on record against construction of a 171-mile oil pipeline linking Santa Barbara County to refineries in El Segundo and Wilmington. The South Gate City Council is expected to consider similar action next week.

“There are people like me that are opposed to the pipeline because of environmental concerns,” Huntington Park Mayor Ric Loya said. “I’ve seen too many situations where industry says everything is OK and it isn’t.”

Loya said some council members opposed the pipeline because they feared it would interfere with the Alameda Corridor project, a 20-mile freight rail line linking the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles with downtown Los Angeles. The project, which includes a 30-foot rail trench in the center of Alameda Street, is expected to create about 9,000 jobs.

The Huntington Park council voted unanimously last week to notify the state Public Utilities Commission of its opposition to the pipeline project.

South Gate City Councilman Larry Leonard has asked that a similar resolution be presented at the council’s July 13 meeting. “At this point, I’m leaning toward opposing the project because it doesn’t make sense to dig a hole and put in the pipeline and then move it to put in the Alameda Corridor,” Leonard said.

Officials for Pacific Pipeline Systems Inc. said the project would not interfere with the Alameda Corridor.