West Pico Drill Site Neighbors Hope Hearing Brings Meaningful Change

Driving by 9101 and adjacent 9151 W. Pico Blvd. just west of Doheny Drive, most people probably don’t even notice the high walls there. But for some who live and work in the vicinity, what is behind those walls is a source of concern: an oil drilling and production facility originally constructed in 1966. 

The Journal first wrote about this issue last October when Rabbi Yonah Bookstein became aware of the facility, which is across the road from Pico Shul, which he co-founded.  

Bookstein was among those who attended an Aug. 27 telephone public hearing of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning regarding the West Pico drill site.

“We are deeply disturbed that the city and, in this case specifically, our city councilman [Paul Koretz], the city council itself, the zoning administration and the administrator seem intent on blocking environmental protection and progress in this case,” Bookstein said. “Now we find out that [even] the operators, everybody, thinks that something has to change in a big way. … Studies have shown the potential negative effects of ongoing exposure to volatile organic compounds. These compounds have no smell and are impossible to detect with your nose. We also know the operations there have been cited by the Los Angeles Fire Department for safety violations. … Perhaps these were done under previous ownership. That does not mean that they can be looked over.”

Bookstein was one of about a dozen stakeholders who spoke at the hearing, which was a follow-up to a previous hearing in July that had to be rescheduled due to technical issues. 

In his opening remarks, Theodore Irving, the associate zoning administrator who presided over the hearing, acknowledged, “This is a controversial project.”

Some residents would like to see the West Pico drill site, home to 58 active wells, shut down. “To me, it’s a great spot for an open park space,” Dr. Matthew Lefferman, an internist who lives and works in the area, told the Journal. “That’s much more reasonable than having an oil well there.”

But most of the speakers appealed for something more modest they think is achievable in the immediate future: thorough and regular inspections by a qualified entity and ongoing oversight, including what is known as fenceline monitoring to ensure the neighboring community is not being exposed to dangerous emissions. The representative for Pacific Coast Energy Company (PCEC), which has owned and operated the site since 2016, appeared to agree. 

“We strongly would recommend that there be a condition that we have an annual inspection by a qualified individual, whether that be the petroleum administration or a qualified third party,” said Michael Finch of Energy Project Solutions.

“We are deeply disturbed that the city and, in this case specifically, our city councilman [Paul Koretz], the city council itself, the zoning administration and the administrator seem intent on blocking environmental protection and progress in this case.” — Rabbi Yonah Bookstein 

While the facility has been around for over 50 years, because it is walled and the oil rig disguised to resemble a decorative tower, “many people in the area are unaware they are living next to an oil well,” Bookstein told the Journal. “You can’t hear it. You can’t see it. … People don’t know what they are living, working, going to school, praying next to.”

That’s how it was for Aaron Biston, 68, the president of Rodeo Investments real estate company. He told the hearing, “I lived down the block for 19 years and for 19 years I was exposed not even knowing it.” Biston has since moved, though he still lives in the area. Now, his worry has a new focus.

“My granddaughter goes to school less than 500 feet away,” he said. “She is 7 years old and I am concerned. … I am surprised that all of the parents of the children who go to that school [Bais Chaya Mushka] are not concerned.”

The Journal reached out to the office of Koretz for comment but did not hear back. However, Daniel Skolnick, senior planning deputy for Koretz, did speak at the hearing. 

“Oil and gas extraction is an inherently incompatible land use around homes, schools and houses of worship,” Skolnick said. “This is an oil drilling site with an egregious record. Councilman Koretz wants this public nuisance shut down as quickly as possible. This is a terrible bad actor in you, the community, that is harming your health.”

A decision letter from the zoning administration is expected in six to eight weeks, in mid- to late October. Bookstein is cautiously optimistic. As he said at the hearing, “We are approaching the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah … a day of introspection and coming to terms with things that we did wrong in the previous year and making amends. Rosh Hashanah is all about fixing mistakes. It’s all about repairing wrongs. We’re all human. People make errors. … We all make mistakes. The question is, what are we going to do going forward? And we have to be true to not only city code, state law, to the will of the neighborhood where this site is, but we also have to be good in a conscientious way before God. … We can fix the past mistakes but we have to first acknowledge those mistakes.”