Dear Editor:
At long last the giant oil company Plains Exploration & Production, Inc., commonly known as PXP, will present the findings of its recent fracking study during a community meeting next Monday, October 15, at 6:30 p.m. at Knox Presbyterian Church in Ladera Heights. The church is located at 5840 La Tijera Blvd., Los Angeles 90056.
The report is based on a study of two hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations the oil company recently carried out in the Inglewood Oil Field. I urge as many residents as possible to attend this meeting.
Immediately following PXP’s presentation, the rest of us will have a chance to ask questions and express any concerns during the public comment period.
And I’m sure some—maybe many—Crossroads readers share my concerns.
I’m worried that–because fracking is primarily a horizontal process—it’s planned to occur under our homes, businesses, schools, La Ballona Creek and generally throughout the area.
I hope that Culver City, LA County and the State of California will enact bans, but what if they don’t?
I’m concerned that if fracking is allowed, it will –trigger small earthquakes and possibly a large earthquake –crack foundations of homes and other buildings –pollute ground water at various depths, including aquifers –waste many millions of gallons of water used to do the fracking –pollute the air –increase asthma and other health problems –release carcinogens, adding to “cancer clusters” in the area –release methane, thereby adding to global warming Many of us activists are wary of this report. Ideally the study would have been carried by neutral researchers with no profit motive—but it wasn’t. It was carried out by the oil industry itself. So the rest of the public, not just activists, also needs to be wary of PXP’s results. Those who want to read the report in advance of PXP’s presentation can go to www.inglewoodoilfield.com and download it. The report is due to be released this Wednesday, October 10, at 5 p.m.
This is an even not to be missed !
Hoping to see many of my Culver City neighbors at the church!
Rebecca Rona-Tuttle
Thank you for this, Rebecca!
This is all happening on the watches of President Obama, Senators Boxer and Feinstein, Governor Brown, and Democratically controlled Sacramento. If Romney were President right now we’d be marching to stop the raping of our environment. But he’s not, so we’re content to go to meetings. Let’s wake up and realize we’re dealing with two heads of the same monster.