Freeport McMoRan has withdrawn their application to drill a new well and redrill two existing wells at their current facility on Jefferson Blvd, west of USC, in part due to the efforts of the North Area Neighborhood Development Council (NANDC). NANDC provided a forum for community concerns on drilling at its meetings and rallied the community to attend public hearings on the subject in January and November of 2014. At a November hearing held by the Zoning Administration there was sufficient public concern to trigger an extension of the public comment period.
Residents of the NANDC community consistently expressed their desire for the Zoning Administration to pursue a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Noise, fumes, visible drilling equipment, oil droplets on cars, workers in full protective gear working near apartments, and more were cited as part of the danger, nuisance and impetus for the EIR.
NANDC thanks all the community members who came out, demonstrated, and showed opposition to this project. “This is a major victory. It shows what can be done when we all pull together in support of our community” notes NANDC Board Member Brett Shears. “And while this victory is welcomed,” he continued, “efforts to oppose drilling expansion will move forward as NANDC persists in addressing the incompatibility of energy extraction in our urban environment. This is an ongoing struggle that we will wage on behalf of our community’s health and well-being.”
NANDC is an officially elected body of volunteers in the Neighborhood Council system of Los Angeles whose purpose is to promote civic engagement for the betterment of our community. The public is invited to our meetings on the first Thursday of the month, 6:30pm at the MLK Recreation Center at Western Ave. and 39th St. Find out more at nandc.org or by contacting Brett Shears at brett.nandc@gmail.com.
