INGLEWOOD : City Delays Vote on Oil Drilling Near Fault

The City Council plans to vote June 7 on whether to allow oil drilling near the Newport-Inglewood Earthquake Fault.

After two hours of testimony from residents Tuesday night and a review of conflicting studies on the safety of drilling near an active fault, Mayor Edward Vincent postponed a vote on the issue, saying more discussion is needed.

Critics of the proposal say drilling would harm the surrounding environment and could trigger an earthquake. In addition, the land is not zoned for industrial use.

The project, proposed by Vortex Oil and Mineral Co., a Canadian company, would include drilling at 7715 S. Victoria Ave. on land owned by the Inglewood Park Cemetery. An offshoot of the Newport-Inglewood Fault runs under the cemetery.

If oil is found, company officials say, the project could bring millions of dollars in revenue to the city.

Los Angeles Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, whose district borders Inglewood, told council members that the project “is not good planning” and requires a full environmental report.

The Inglewood council voted to approve drilling in December, 1992, but a Los Angeles County Superior Court overturned the decision because the city had failed to consider the impact that drilling would have on the fault. The court ordered the city to further study the effect of drilling, although it did not order a full environmental report.

Opponents of the drilling say a full environmental report should be made. “When their experts and our experts disagree, a full report should be issued,” said Larry Teeter, attorney for the group, Coalition Against the Pipeline.