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2007 Grassroots Coalition Victory against Sempra Energy (Southern California Gas Company) in Playa del Rey. After 7 years of litigation, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a settlement agreement of complaint cases relating to the natural gas storage field owned and operated by Southern California Gas Company in the Playa del Rey area of the City of Los Angeles. To fully understand this Grassroots victory read the full: Sempra Energy "Important Information about Playa del Rey Natural Gas Storage Operations" on our website or read: http://www.saveballona.org/gasoilfields/Sempra.Energy.Playa.del.Rey.natural.gas.storage.operations.pdf
This case set precedent in the state of California for an oil/gas field operator – Sempra Energy (Southern California Gas Company) to notice the public and perform oil/gas field migration testing and monitoring, including subsidence and uplift monitoring – surpassing the requirements of the Division of Oil and Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR).
2005 Grassroots Coalition Court Victory against Playa Vista and LA City The California Appellate Court vacated the approval of the Playa Vista Phase I Methane Mitigation System and ordered the City to determine whether to perform a Supplemental or Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) according to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
2005 Grassroots Coalition Court Victory against Playa Vista and LA City The California Appellate Court vacated the approval of the Playa Vista Phase I Methane Mitigation System and ordered the City to determine whether to perform a Supplemental or Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) according to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The Appellate Court agreed with Grassroots Coalition and its co-plaintiffs that the effects of dewatering (removal of water) as part of the methane mitigation measures and the methane mitigation systems ability to perform properly had not been studied. Issues to be studied include cumulative impacts of dewatering; cumulative subsidence and contamination spread, and performance of the 50' vent wells, dewatering as it affects the wetland habitat, recharge rate of the aquifer, salt water intrusion and waste water issues. GC has been instrumental in the creation and changes to the LA CITY METHANE CODE including the Playa Vista Methane Prevention Detection and Monitoring Program – Playa Vista Phase 1.
1997 Grassroots Coalition Belmont Learning Center Complex (BLC). (GC) was instrumental in procuring a Supplement Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) on the BLC proposed site. Working as consultant to Senator Tom Hayden and Assemblyman Wildman, GC provided review and assessment of internal documents alongside gas migration expert Bernard Endres PhD.
GC provided data and information to the Air Quality Management District (AQMD) that led to further AQMD investigations of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) oil wells that gave rise to Notices of Violations and ultimately the abandonment of the old leaky LAUSD wells. Community support was garnered for this work by GC.
GC documented and provided proof of outdated and unsafe conditions around multiple wells in the community surrounding the Belmont Learning Center proposed site. Division of Oil and Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) subsequently ordered cleanup, fencing and other safety impositions. Outcome was protective of the community and included abandonment of more wells in the area.
1993 Founded Grassroots Coalition (GR) and, in the role of president, lead the fight for full disclosure of health and safety issues related to oil field gases at Playa Vista and the surrounding areas. GR introduced Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) to oilfield gas migration issues in the Ballona Wetlands region. GR asked the City of Los Angeles (City) for an independent peer reviewer from outside California to study oilfield gas migration issues at Playa Vista and the surrounding areas. The City chose Exploration Technologies Inc. / Victor Jones of Texas (ETI).
ETI’s multi-year investigation discovered oilfield gas migration issues and potential dangers stemming from leakage at the Playa del Rey oilfield (1920-1930) and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) under ground gas storage operations in the Playa del Rey oilfield. The City of Los Angeles - Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety determined that no residential development was to take place over the SoCalGas storage operations. In an attempt to allow for development of the Playa Vista project – adjacent to the SoCalGas oil/gas storage facilities – new and experimental gas mitigation measures were utilized.
1990 Produced Wetlands 90, a 3 day, multi-interactional, educational event that drew 10,000 people to the Ballona Wetlands.
1989 Started a Wetlands Committee for Sierra Club, Los Angeles Chapter that focused on acquisition and preservation of the Ballona Wetlands. In 2003-4 they were successfully purchased with public funding.
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