Resumed drilling in oil field OKd
Los Angeles County supervisors voted 4 to 0 on Tuesday to approve a controversial new zoning ordinance giving the go-ahead for drilling to resume at an 84-year-old oil field.
The ordinance caps the number of new wells Plains Exploration & Production Co. (PXP) can tap during the next 20 years at 600. It also requires that the company adhere to environmental and safety standards and undergo regular monitoring.
The Texas-based oil company had voluntarily stopped drilling at the Inglewood Oil Field last year and paid for a $2-million environmental study, conducted by a county-appointed consultant, examining the potential effects of additional drilling. Under an agreement with PXP also approved Tuesday, the company promised not to sue to challenge the ordinance. Drilling of new wells will not begin until the ordinance takes effect in 30 days.
-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske
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