Redondo Beach Considers Oil Drilling To Protect Reserves

Former Tritton Oil Drilling Site (Dirt Lot) Harbor Dr & Portofino Way in Redondo Beach

Former Oil Drilling Site 190th and Prospect in Redondo Beach

The Redondo Beach City Council took a the first step toward exploring oil drilling within city limits to boost city revenues on Tuesday. Read the RB Patch Article.

In a referral to staff, Councilman Steve Diels, who represents District No. 4 in North Redondo Beach, asked City Manager Bill Workman if city staff could examine whether Redondo Beach could tap into the "hundreds of millions of dollars" sitting beneath the city.

Additionally, Diels asked if city staff could look into the effects of possible oil drilling in Hermosa Beach on Redondo's reserves. Both cities sit on top of the Torrance Oil Field.

The councilman noted that money from potential projects could be used for various capital projects, and even implied that revenues from oil drilling could be used to pay for a park at the AES Powerplant site on Harbor Drive.

Bill Brand, who represents District No. 2. "In general, though, I don't support that kind of industrial activity going on in our town."

If the city does eventually decide to allow oil drilling, it would not be the first time oil wells were dug in Redondo Beach. According to the Redondo Beach Historical Society, wells dotted the city during the 1920s.

Lets not forget Tritton Oil & Gas Corporation abandoned the site in 1990 at 101 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach 90277.

Related Articles: 
Pat Aust recalls oil fire in Redondo Beach.
Tritton Oil & Gas Corporation oil well abandonment in 1990 
Hermosa pursuing legal action against Oil Operator Roy Stinnett in 1991 (LA Times)
Map of regional oil wells in the South Bay.
Is the AES Redondo Beach Powerplant Related to Hermosa Beach Oil Drilling

No Oil Money For Hermosa Beach Schools

Barbara Guild Speaking About Oil Drilling Underground In Ocean Benefits State of California (Tidelands Trust)

- No General Use of Oil $ From Ocean

- Schools Only Have Tiny Mineral Rights Royalty

- .20 Cents Per Barrel of Oil Extracted Under School

- No $ Use East of Strand

- No Police or Fire $
- No Road or Sewers $
- No New Building $
- No School $
- No Parks Money

State Tidelands Doctrine

The United States Supreme Court issued its landmark opinion on the nature of a state’s title to its tide and submerged lands nearly 110 years ago, and although courts have reviewed tidelands trust issues many times since then, the basic premise of the trust remains fundamentally unchanged. The Court said then that a state’s title to its tide and submerged lands is different from that to the lands it holds for sale. “It is a title held in trust for the people of the State that they may enjoy the navigation of the waters, carry on commerce over them, and have liberty of fishing” free from obstruction or interference from private parties. All uses, including those specifically authorized by the Legislature, must take into account the overarching principle of the public trust doctrine that trust lands belong to the public and are to be used to promote public rather than exclusively private purposes.

Evidence of Money Use in Newport Beach

Oil and gas revenue is deposited into the Tidelands Fund because the source of the oil is in the tidelands area which the City holds in trust for the people of California. The Tidelands Fund may be used only for eligible expenditures that support and maintain the tidelands, such as improvements to tidelands property including dredging Lower Newport Bay, lifeguards, beach cleaning, etc. 

The productivity of the oil wells continues to decline due to the age of the wells. New oil extraction techniques are required if the City continues to use the wells. The new techniques may include: reconditioning of existing oil wells, converting existing oil wells to water injection wells, drilling new water injection wells or drilling new oil wells. The City Charter restricted the redrilling of wells until January of 2011.

This is how we raise money for Hermosa Beach Schools through the Ed Foundation.

Commonly Missed Public Perceptions

1) Doesn't affect me where I live
2) City will be bankrupt if we pay
3) Schools will benefit and need $
4) They say drilling is safe