Sentinal Peak Resources has withdrawn its request for the City of Culver City to delay its release of the Inglewood Oil Field Specific Plan and related Draft Environmental Impact Report. In April, SPR asked the City to delay the release of both documents, and the City Council agreed to allow 90 days for the City Council’s Oil Drilling Subcommittee and SPR to discuss a potential working agreement on how to move the IOF Specific Plan Project forward, including discussion of SPR’s request to become the Project applicant.
Culver City Mayor Jeff Cooper said: “We all clearly heard the concerns voiced by the many community members who came to the City Council meeting in April to ask us to release the Draft Specific Plan and EIR, and I look forward to seeing the City move forward with the completion and release of these documents.”
Approximately 77.8 acres of the IOF lie within the City of Culver City. Following a series of accidental gas release and odor events in late 2005 and early 2006, the City took interest in establishing regulations for oil and gas production activites in the portions of the IOF within City boundaries. In 2014, the City began the process of preparing a Draft Specific Plan, as well as a related Draft EIR, for the Culver City portion of the IOF. In January 2017, SPR took over operation of the IOF from Freeport McMoran Oil and Gas. The City planned to release the Draft Specific Plan and EIR in March/April 2017. However, SPR requested that the City delay the release of the documents until the third quarter of 2018, after it had time to complete a detailed geologic assessment of the IOF. At a special community meeting in April 2017, the City Council agreed to a 90-day stay of the release of the Draft Specific Plan and Draft EIR, in order for the City Council’s Oil Drilling Subcommittee to discuss with SPR its request to become the Project applicant and a mutually acceptable approach for moving the Project forward. On July 10, 2017, SPR sent the City a letter withdrawing its request for a stay of the release of the Draft Specific Plan and Draft EIR. City Council will meet tonight, July 11, 2017, at 7:00 p.m., in the Mike Balkman Council Chambers, City Hall, 9770 Culver Boulevard, to discuss proceeding with the IOF Specific Plan Project, including the City’s completion and release of the Draft Specific Plan and Draft EIR.
More information about this issue is available at www.culvercity.org/how-do-i-/learn/inglewood-oil-field.
Heather Baker, Assistant City Attorney
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