SEAL BEACH : Council to Consider Unocal Proposal

The City Council is set to decide in January whether to allow Unocal to reopen a water-oil separation plant on Marina Drive.

Residents oppose the idea, fearing it will increase noise, traffic and pollution in their neighborhood east of the San Gabriel River.

The Planning Commission last month approved Unocal’s proposal, but residents appealed the plan to the City Council for a final decision.

The long-running debate has been the subject of numerous public hearings that date back nearly a year. If allowed to reopen, the plant will process oil from offshore wells.

The facility was closed in 1983 after winter storms destroyed the wells. The wells are now working, and Unocal seeks to restart the operation.

Some residents argue that the plant is now out of place in the neighborhood, which has recently seen the construction of new townhomes and houses.

They fear that reopening the plant will flood the neighborhood with noise and extra traffic.

Some have also expressed concern that the facility could emit harmful pollutants, despite data from four separate studies provided by Unocal showing that such separation plants pose no health risks to residents.

Faced with community opposition, Unocal earlier this year modified its plans to include landscaping and other aesthetic improvements around the plant.

The Planning Commission also asked Unocal to install a security alarm system at the facility.