Additional Information

Update of the Study of Neighborhood Air near Petroleum Sources (SNAPS) Program. 

California Air Resources Board (CARB) plans to begin air monitoring within the Baldwin Hills communities near the Inglewood Oil Field (IOF) later in 2022.  CARB released a draft of the Study of Neighborhood Air near Petroleum Sources (SNAPS) Community Air Monitoring Plan for Communities Surrounding the Inglewood Oil Field, which includes details regarding stationary monitoring equipment and data collection, as well as prospective mobile monitoring areas in communities surrounding the IOF.  

Please submit your comments on the Draft Monitoring Plan to CARB by July 31, 2022 via email at snaps@arb.ca.gov or by phone at (279) 208-7749.

Overview of SNAPS Program

CARB is developing a project to better characterize air quality in communities near oil and gas operations. The SNAPS program includes limited-term, intensive air quality monitoring with a particular focus on production facilities. For more information about this program, please visit the CARB website, email snaps@arb.ca.gov, or call (279) 208-7749. 

5-Year Periodic Review of the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) for the Inglewood Oil Field. 

The Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) for the Inglewood Oil Field, which is administered by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Regional Planning, requires that a “periodic review” of those standards be conducted at least every five years.  The County last completed a review in 2014 and is currently conducting a new review in 2019.  The Periodic Review provides an opportunity to question, clarify and enhance how the CSD is implemented and identify specific issues for how day-to-day operations are managed, monitored and reported.  The County released the Draft 2019 Periodic Review II Report on September 24, 2019 and invites public comments through November 23, 2019.  A copy of the Draft Periodic Review II Report, along with other relevant background and information on how to submit comments, is available at the County’s Community Standards District (CSD) website. Questions and comments about the Periodic Review process and the Draft Report can be addressed at the next Baldwin Hills CSD Community Advisory Panel (CAP) meeting to be held Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 7:00 PM at the Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area Community Center.  More information about the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) can be found here.

Culver City has submitted written comments to the County of Los Angeles addressing the County’s Initial Draft Periodic Review II Report for the Baldwin Hills CSD, dated September 24, 2019.

Culver City Comment Letter on Initial Draft Periodic Review II, dated November 21, 2019(PDF, 2MB)

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) Health Assessment and Environmental Justice Study for the Inglewood Oil Field.

As a required provision under the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) and related Settlement Agreement, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) must prepare and update a Health Assessment and Environmental Justice Study (Health Assessment) for communities in the vicinity of the Inglewood Oil Field.  The DPH is currently developing the scope-of-work for the next cycle of the Health Assessment, which will be initiated in Spring 2020.  To define the scope of this upcoming study, the DPH is soliciting input from the Baldwin Hills CSD Community Advisory Panel (CAP), the CAP’s Health Working Group and the community through December 2019.  More information about the Health Assessment process can be found on the County’s CSD website - CAP page.

Update of the Study of Neighborhood Air near Petroleum Sources (SNAPS) Program. 

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has initiated public meetings to seek community input on the scope for an air monitoring plan to be implemented under the SNAPS program for Baldwin Hills communities surrounding the Inglewood Oil Field.  A first round of meetings was held in July 2019, with the next round of meetings anticipated in early 2020.  More information about the SNAPS program and the Baldwin Hills air monitoring plan can be found at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) website. 

It is anticipated that information gained from the Baldwin Hills SNAPS program will supplement the Los Angeles County’s Health Assessment and Environmental Justice Study, which will be prepared in 2020 as an independent study required in compliance with the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) for the Inglewood Oil Field.

Update of the County DPH Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). 

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) is preparing its five-year update to the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).  The CHIP is a strategic plan for DPH and community partners to collaboratively improve community conditions and the health of all Los Angeles County residents.  Each plan focuses on goals, objectives, and strategies for a target five-year period.  The current cycle of the CHIP will include a component for strategies to protect public health near oil and gas operations. Selection of strategies is anticipated in October 2019 and the draft CHIP is anticipated to be released Winter 2019/2020.  DPH is soliciting input from the community for consideration in development of the CHIP.  Contact information and links to related background materials regarding the Community Health Improvement Plan can be found here.

Letters Regarding Culver City's Request for Bottom Hole Locations

 

Senate Bill (SB) 4 Well Stimulation Treatment Regulations

On September 20, 2013 Governor Brown signed into law SB 4 amending sections of the Public Resources Code relating to oil and gas.  This bill requires the adoption of rules and regulations specific to well stimulation, including governing the construction of wells and well casings and disclosure of the composition and disposition of well stimulation fluids, and would authorize the division to allow well stimulation treatments if specific conditions are met.  In November of 2013, the California Department of Conservation (DOC), Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), began the formal rulemaking process for Well Stimulation Treatment Regulations.  Effective January 1, 2014, the DOC established interim regulations to govern oil and gas well stimulation treatment until DOC's proposed permanent regulations were completed and became effective.  On December 30, 2014, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved and filed the final proposed regulations on well stimulation treatments with the Office of the Secretary of State.  These regulations go into effect on July 1, 2015.  Read the text of the final regulationsfor SB 4 Well Stimulation Treatment Regulations.

Pursuant to SB 4, DOC prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to evaluate the impacts of existing and potential future oil and gas well stimulation treatments occurring within California.  Suggestions for the content and scope of the EIR were taken at five public scoping meetings around the State from December 2013 through January 2014.  On January 14th, DOC, through DOGGR, published a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) titled "Analysis of Oil and Gas Well Stimulation Treatments in California."  On July 1, 2015, the head of  DOGGR certified the Final EIR.  

Separately pursuant to Senate Bill 4 (Pavley 2013), the California Natural Resources Agency has commissioned the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) to conduct an independent scientific assessment of well stimulation treatments, including hydraulic fracturing, in California.  The purpose of the report is to synthesize and assess the available scientific information associated with well completion treatments in California.  The review will survey hydraulic fracturing, matrix acidizing, and acid fracturing as they are applied both onshore and offshore for oil and gas production in the state.  Published information will be used to investigate the history and current application of well stimulation treatments, changes in the potential for oil and gas development in California made possible by well stimulation treatments, and evidence of environmental and public health impacts attributable to these technologies.

On January 14, 2015, CCST released Volume I of the report to the public.  Volume I, which is titled "An Independent Scientific Assessment of Well Stimulation Technologies in California: Well Stimulation Technologies and their Past, Present, and Potential Future Use in California", provides the factual basis describing what well stimulation treatments (WST) are, how they are conducted in general and practiced in California, and where they have been and are being used for oil and gas production in the state.  To view or download the report, please visit the California Council on Science and Technology website.

CCST’s full report will be issued in three volumes. Volumes II and III will be released in July 2015.

Additional information and documents are available on the California Department of Conservation web site.

Culver City Comments Relating to SB4

 

Los Angeles County Community Standards District (CSD) 

Culver City's Comments on the Community Standards District (CSD) 2015 Drilling, Re-drilling, Well Abandonment, and Well Pad Restoration Plan(PDF, 131KB)

 

Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) Review

Updated: 06/11/13

Culver City has received the following notice from the County of Los Angeles regarding a public meeting to receive comments on the required comprehensive review of the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD).

In December 2008, the County of Los Angeles adopted a new set of standards to regulate the portion of the Inglewood Oil Field that is located in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. The standards are known as the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD).   

Section G.7 of the CSD requires that the County conduct a comprehensive review of the CSD at least every five years to determine if the provisions of the CSD are adequately protecting the health, safety, and general welfare. The review shall consider whether additional provisions should be added, appended, or removed and to evaluate if proven technological advances that would further reduce impacts of oil operations on neighboring land uses should be incorporated into the provisions of the CSD. The Department of Regional Planning has made a survey available to collect the community’s input.  Read the introduction to the periodic review process, and access the survey.

For the latest information, please visit the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District website.