San Fernando : Cardenas Assails Rivals Who Back Oil Pipeline

More than 30 community leaders and local residents rallied around 39th Assembly District candidate Tony Cardenas on Friday as he attacked his rivals for supporting construction of the Pacific Pipeline.

Cardenas, owner of a San Fernando real estate agency, opposes the oil pipeline that would run through the community just west of San Fernando Middle School. Campaign director Alex Padilla said the school’s proximity to the proposed pipeline is the community’s main concern.

“It was encouraging to see so many residents aware of the issue come out and express their opinions,” Padilla said. “The path for the pipeline would be adjacent to a path that hundreds of children take to school every day.”

The Northridge quake ruptured another line, the ARCO Four Corners Pipeline, causing a gas explosion and a fire. Padilla said the city of San Fernando is overburdened with environmental problems and the pipeline would only exacerbate them.

But attorney Valerie Salkin, who is running against Cardenas for the Assembly seat, said comparing the two pipelines is like comparing apples and oranges. While the Arco pipeline carried gas, the Pacific Pipeline would carry oil.

“This pipeline is environmentally safe and economically sound,” Salkin said. “I really believe it is a safe way to transport oil, while at the same time create hundreds of jobs for the community.”