LA City Council Urges Newsom To Close Playa Del Rey Oil Storage

PLAYA DEL REY, CA — The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to close the Playa del Rey oil storage facility, warning that the area could pose a threat to wildlife, tsunamis and a potential leak similar to what happened at Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage in Porter Ranch.

RELATED: Is It Time To Shut Down The Playa Del Rey Oil Storage Facility?

Locals have called on leaders to shut down the Playa del Rey oil storage facility located at the Ballona Wetlands before a blowout happens — and before it's too late.

Councilman Mike Bonin introduced the resolution Wednesday, which passed with 13 yes votes and two members absent — noted that a 2018 study by the California Council on Science and Technology found that the facility "stands out as a facility with relatively higher risk to health and safety than the other facilities in California."

The site at 8141 Gulana Ave. is close to LAX and has a large population living nearby, and in the event of a gas leak, could become an environmental disaster, the study found. The site is also near Loyola Marymount University, Silicon Beach tech companies, including Facebook's office in Playa Vista, and a number of high-end homes and condos.

In March, Culver City Council and Los Angeles City Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz pressured Southern California Gas Company to close its facility, saying that the area is heavily populated and the site could present danger for residents. It's been compared to Aliso Canyon, also known as Porter Ranch, where one of the largest gas blowouts in the history of the U.S. happened in 2015.

"We are grateful for the leadership of especially Mike Bonin and also Paul Koretz in working to make it clear to the Governor that the City of Los Angeles wants this dangerous, toxic methane gas storage facility shut down," Marcia Hanscom, a co-director of the Ballona Institute who also chairs the Sierra Club's Ballona Wetlands Restoration Committee, told Patch.

"It’s time for Governor Newsom to take his foot off the gas and to include weaning the state off of methane gas emissions - emissions we now know are huge contributors to the greenhouse gas problems leading to climate change impacts," Hanscom said.

The Playa del Rey oil storage facility used to be an active oil field with 29 active gas wells, including eight that were originally drilled in the 1930s. The field extends far beyond the borders of SoCalGas' property, beneath the wetlands, and all the way to the marina.

"Los Angeles has made it clear that gas facilities like Playa del Rey are incompatible with community health and safety," said Food & Water Watch L.A. Organizer Ethan Senser. "The local community is united in wanting to see gas facilities like Playa del Rey and Aliso Canyon closed, and now is the time to roll up our sleeves and start planning for a just transition. The governor needs to listen to his constituents, bring stakeholders together, and follow the community's leadership in determining real solutions for its future."

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.

SEE ALSO:

• The Battle Over Protecting Ballona Wetlands — And If They Need It
• Investigators Reveal Likely Cause Of Fire At Ballona Wetlands
• Homeless Shelters Proposed Across The Westside