Baldwin Hills CSD - Background / About
Baldwin Hills CSD - Background / About
CSD Adoption
Board of Supervisors
On October 28, 2008, after considering additional public comments and testimony heard at the public hearing held on October 21, 2008, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) to establish additional regulations for oil and gas production activities in the unincorporated portion of the Inglewood Oil Field located in the Baldwin Hills area.
- Baldwin Hills Community Standards District - adopted October 28, 2008
- Board Motion - October 21, 2008
- Board Letter - October 15, 2008
Regional Planning Commission
On October 8, 2008, after considering testimony and material presented, the Regional Planning Commission closed the public hearing and recommended approval of the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) and certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) to the Board of Supervisors.
- Regional Planning Commission Packet
Packet includes: Staff Report, County Draft CSD, Additional Materials
Environmental Documents
Final EIR Documents
- Baldwin Hills CSD Final EIR
- Baldwin Hills CSD Final EIR - Appendices
- Baldwin Hills CSD Final EIR - Response to Comments
Draft EIR Documents
- Baldwin Hills CSD Draft EIR Packet
Packet includes: Notice of Availability, Draft EIR and Appendices
Background
Interim Urgency Ordinance
The Baldwin Hills area has included oil and gas production operations dating back to the 1920s, when the area was largely undeveloped. Today these activities operate in the midst of a densely populated urban area and concerns have been raised regarding the potential conflicts between oil and gas operations and the surrounding residential communities. In response to these concerns, the Board of Supervisors adopted Interim Ordinance No. 2006-0050U, which temporarily placed additional development standards and restrictions on the drilling of new oil wells or deepening of existing oil wells on property zoned A-2 (Heavy Agricultural) or M-11/2 (Limited Heavy Manufacturing) in the Baldwin Hills Zoned District.
The original interim urgency ordinance was adopted on June 27, 2006 for an initial period of 45 days and was subsequently extended on August 8, 2006 by Interim Ordinance No. 2006-0064U for another 10 months and 15 days until June 26, 2007. The urgency ordinance was extended a second time by Interim Ordinance No. 2007-0064U on May 29, 2007. The second extension ordinance not only extended but also modified the initial interim urgency ordinance by temporarily placing a moratorium on the drilling of new wells or deepening of existing wells for a period of one year. The moratorium will be in effect until June 26, 2008, which will allow the County sufficient time to complete a thorough environmental analysis of the oil field activities in the Baldwin Hills and to develop permanent oil field regulations.
Baldwin Hills Community Standards District
The Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning is currently working to establish a Community Standards District (CSD) for the Baldwin Hills oil field area. A CSD is a supplemental district used to address special problems that are unique to certain geographic areas within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. The CSD will define the boundary of the oil field and establish permanent development standards, operating requirements and procedures for the defined oil field. This approach will provide a means for implementing enhanced regulations to address the unique compatibility concerns associated with operating an oil field in the midst of urban development.
Environmental Review
The establishment of a CSD is also subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (PDF) , enabling the County to thoroughly evaluate the environmental impacts of the oil field activities on the surrounding communities. The County has entered into a Three Party Agreement to contract with Marine Research Specialists, the EIR consultant, to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the CSD. The EIR will evaluate existing and future oil operations in the Baldwin Hills and will help determine what additional development standards and regulations should be included in the CSD to mitigate the impacts of drilling on the surrounding communities.
Community Outreach and Scoping Meeting
On April 4, 2007 the Department of Regional Planning and the EIR consultant held a community meeting at the Kenneth Hahn Community Center to introduce the CSD and EIR process and obtain input from the community regarding any impacts associated with the oil field activity. See the Meet & Greet Presentation for a copy of the presentation given at the community meeting.
Three community interview sessions were held in early May, 2007. Each session was hosted by a resident volunteer. The resident volunteers, who represented the communities of Culver City, Ladera Heights, and Baldwin Hills, invited interested members of their respective communities to participate in an informal interview session with DRP staff and the EIR consultant. The community interviews focused on concerns/issues associated with the oil field operations and the areas that should be addressed in the EIR. See Interview Sessions Summary for a summary of the primary issues discussed. A scoping survey was also distributed to the three resident volunteers for distribution to community members.
Schedule
| Description | Date |
|---|---|
| EIR consultant conducted baseline studies | n/a - completed |
| Issued EIR Notice of Preparation | June 28, 2007 |
| 1st EIR Scoping Meeting | July 24, 2007 |
| 2nd EIR Scoping Meeting | July 26, 2007 |
| Applicant submission of Proposed CSD | February 15, 2008 |
| Issued DEIR Notice of Availability | June 19, 2008 |
| Release of Public Draft EIR | June 20, 2008 |
| Community Workshop | July 17, 2008 |
| Community Workshop | July 22, 2008 |
| End of 60-Day Public Comment Period | August 19, 2008 |
| Regional Planning Commission Public Hearing | August 2, 2008 |
| Regional Planning Commission Public Hearing | August 14, 2008 |
| Regional Planning Commission Public Hearing | August 27, 2008 |
| Regional Planning Commission Public Hearing | September 10, 2008 |
| Regional Planning Commission Public Hearing | October 1, 2008 |
| Regional Planning Commission Public Hearing | October 8, 2008 |
| Board of Supervisors Public Hearing | October 21, 2008 |
| Board of Supervisors Consent Item | October 28, 2008 |