City Attorney Sanaz (Sunny) K. Soltani made the statement that the loophole is not a loophole, it’s a legal standard”.  In fact, it is a loophole, which makes the residents responsible for the expected profits of the operator.  Appointed Mayor Albert Robles and assistant city attorney Shannon L. Chaffin’s states there will be no drilling operations/production in residential areas.  The truth of the matter is they will be drilling directly under our homes. Inaccurate/fraudulent statements also include “we have no water injection for disposal”; California standard is the wastewater is to be injected into the same formation/zone that is producing the oil and water.  This activity is exactly what has caused Oklahoma to go from 2 earthquakes a year to 857 magnitudes 3 or greater in 2015.  If they presented clear and accurate information this ordinance would never pass. 

City Attorney Sanaz (Sunny) K. Soltani

“It’s not a loophole, it’s a legal standard, and in all honesty weather it is in the code or not all property owners have a right to recover reasonable investment backed expectations that they have when they purchase property.   When somebody owns a property right and a regulatory agency passes laws subsequent to when the property rights were purchased and subsequent to investments that were made in order to the investments they make in order to have a profit.  You have to allow them to make those profits and it’s a standard of law and it would apply weather it is in the ordinance or not and we felt it should go in the ordinance just so we are clear that nobody trying to do a regulatory taking of anybody’s property rights.  If they’ve invested in a certain business before we pass a regulation now I think Mr. Perez can confirm that as of now no one is fracking in Carson. I don’t think any oil company has made invested has made substantial investments in fracking in Carson.  I think the experts have said that the geology is such that it’s not even conducive for fracking, so this is in there but it is not a loophole because if in the future if the geology changes such that it becomes economically effective and efficient for a company to frack engage in fracking.  This is not going to apply to them this is not a loophole they can’t come in and say well you know we have a reasonable investment backed expectation and we want to apply for this exception this is not for future users.”

 

Immediately following City Attorney Sanaz (Sunny) K. Soltani making this statement we sent an email to all council members stating “if it is not a loophole than change it to read (fracking investment) as stated by Attorney Soltani.  The loophole remains a loophole in the ordinance they passed.

Appointed Mayor Albert Robles and Assistant City Attorney Shannon L. Chaffin

Robles: At the very outset, we said that we were going to ban oil production in residential areas.  So even if someone complied with this if it’s in a residential area that it’s still not permissible, is that correct?

Chaffin:  That is absolutely correct you cannot have oil and gas operations

Robles: Period

Chaffin: Period in residential, no new development in residential, or in parks, or by hospitals

What makes these statements inaccurate/fraudulent is this ordinance allows oil wells to enter the ground 750 feet from residential communities; but it also allows drilling directly under our homes.

We’ve been told time and time again if we let them in the ground we can’t regulate where they go.  In this video Luis F. Perez with Marine Research Specialest is telling us just that.  They will be drilling under our homes. 

Luis F. Perez with Marine Research Specialest

Mr. Perez stated, “water injection for disposal is something that is not happening, no”.  This play on words by Mr. Perez could be detrimental to not just Carson but our neighboring cities.  City boundaries don’t stop earthquakes or contamination.

Thanks to Deborah Mason for such a great question!  I’m sorry clear and truthful answers don’t exist at Carson city hall.

According to DOGGR there are 14 wells that are water flooding, and 2 wells that are using well stimulation techniques here in Carson.

You can get more information on the wells operating here in Carson by clicking on the links provided in this list of Carson wells.  To identify the injection wells on DOGGR website you need to look in the production details of individual wells.

For example this well is listed as water flooding but when you look further into the production data you will find the listing of its injection production.

 

Appointed Mayor Albert Robles

Albert Robles stated no city has a setback greater than 750 feet this statement is also inaccurate/fraudulent.

There is no greater setback than citywide Beverly Hills, California 5.710 square miles and the Torrance, California 20.553 square miles.