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Matrix has now posted a sign on the Catalina Street Main Entrance that says WHITTIER FIELD, CITY LEASE OPERATOR: MATRIX OILNot sure how Matrix has a lease with the City of Whittier since the City never had the authority to grant the lease. Only the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors had that authority. posted Feb. 8, 2013Click on picture to enlarge.
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Take a Survey on the Oil Project. It will only take a few minutes. posted Feb 10, 2013
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We are not a 501.c3 so your donations are not tax deductible. Thank you for your support.
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KPCC Larry Mantle's Air Talk February 4, 2013 @ 11:20 A.M. Listen to L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina's comments to Whittier's Attorney on Oil Project.
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Show Your Support Against the Oil Project. Get a Yard Sign Free Click Here |
NEW VIDEO ON FRACKINGDecember 10, 2012
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Family Ties - L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe and his Lobbyist son Matt. Matt's firm was hired by Matrix Oil. They are the ones that have been doing the PR for the Oil Company. KCET Investigative Report 11/28/2012
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Fracking and Earthquake Connection.
Whittier's Oil Field and Baldwin Hills Oil Field are Featured. KCET Investigative Report 11/27/2012 Click here to see Story (10 min)
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The City's Check to Los Angeles County that was returned to Whittier June 6, 2012.
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Los Angeles County's Lawsuit against Whittier and the Oil Project Filed October 25, 2012.
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Latest Lawsuit filed by California's State Attorney General Kamala Harris against
Whittier's Oil Project
August 31, 2012.
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L.A.County Council finds that the City of Whittier and Esther Feldman did fail to register for lobbying.
August 8, 2012
This is to inform you that the County of Los Angeles( "County"), through the Executive Office of the Board of Supervisors, recently concluded a second. investigation to determine whether a possible violation of the County Lobbyist Ordinance by Esther Feldman, Feldman &Associates, Community Conservancy International, and the City of Whittier occurred. As explained in the enclosed written findings, the Executive Office concluded that Esther Feldman, Feldman & Associates, and the City of Whittier failed to register within 10 days of May 25, 2010, and subsequently failed to file quarterly reports
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We are not the only Community having this problem. Checkout these websites of our neightbors who are fighting to keep oil drilling out of their Communities.
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City gives Environmental Compliance Coordinator Contract for Oil Project to MRS.
But wait, how can the City award a contract they are not paying for?
Council meeting minutes from August 14, 2012 for Environmental
Compliance Coordinator - Whittier Main Oilfield
FISCAL IMPACT
The
funding for the Environmental Compliance Coordinator will be bome by Matrix
Oil, including administrative costs accrued by the City. There will be no fiscal
impact on the General Fund. This is the same company that did the EIR for the oil project. Matrix is paying for MRS to be the Environmental Compliance Coordinator.
The RFP (request for proposal) which was put together by the City describes what services the City needs provided by the Vendor that wins the bid. I find it a bit unusual that one of the statements in the RFP is (see below).
Actual
consultant work will depend on core tasks that can be anticipated
and work that cannot be anticipated (e.g., supplemental construction,
accidents/spills or other
emergency-response-related activities, etc.)
which will only be undertaken on an as-needed basis. Therefore, the
consultant's familiarity with the project sites and permit requirements, the
ability to perform the field monitoring efficiently, and cost rates are three
major factors in our consideration of proposals.That statement appears to give MRS an unfair advantage over the other companies since they wrote the EIR. Of course they have familiarity with the sites.
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Working together to Preserve our Hills
We are a Non-Partisan Organization
Whittier, California
Website updated May 12, 2013
We are a group of homeowners and residents concerned about the effects of oil drilling to the environment and our community. We are Opposed to Oil Drilling in our Hills. |
In Loving Memory of Pete Fischer. A True Friend that will be Greatly Missed. Thank you Pete
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"It this something that Matrix should do in order to maybe "curry favor" with Knabe reo Prop A?"(Curry Favor is a Political Favor) posted 5/12/13
HERE
IS ARE TWO E-MAILS DATED OCTOBER 27, 2009 BETWEEN J C MCFARLAND
CONSULTANT/LIAISON FOR MATRIX OIL AND FORMER CITY MANAGER STEVE HELVEY
AND COUNCILMAN BOB HENDERSON. IN THIS E-MAIL MCFARLAND IS ASKING STEVE
HELVEY AND BOB HENDERSON IS THEY (MATRIX OIL) SHOULD ASK L.A. COUNTY
SUPERVISOR DON KNABE FOR A CURRY FAVOR (POLITICAL FAVOR). READ THE
ACTUAL E-MAILS BELOW. Mike Mc Caskey is the VP of Matrix Oil.
From: J.e. McFarland [mailto:mac@mcfarl.comJ sent: Tuesday, October 27,20091:40 PM To: Bob Henderson; Steve Helvey Cc: Mike McCaskey Subject: Fwd: Supervisor's State of the County Address (11/4/09) - A don't miss event!!!Importance: High Bob and Steve, It this something that Matrix should do in order to maybe "curry favor" with Knabe reo Prop A? Frankly, that's the only basis on which I or they would be interested. Regards, Mac __________________________________________________________ From: "shelvey@cityofwhittier.org" <shelvey@cityofwhittier.org> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:21 :49 -0700 To: mac@mcfarl.com<mac@mcfarl.com>; bob@hendersonsinsure.com<bob@hendersonsinsure.com> Cc: Mike McCaskey<MMcCaskey@matrixoil.com> Subject: RE: Supervisor's State of the County Address (1114/09) - A don't miss event!!! Mac probably not yet. Steve |
TRIAL DATE IS SET
We now have a
trial date for the State of California (MRCA and the Santa Monica
Mountain Conservancy which is being represented by the State Attorney
General Kamala Harris) and the County of Los Angeles who has hired Patricia Glaser renowned Attorney to head up the County's legal team. The trial if you already don't know is to stop the Whittier Main Field Oil Project.
The trial will take place on May 30, 2013 at 9:30 A.M. at the Stanley
Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Please see the information
below for details. Show your solidarity during the trial by
getting a yard sign which you can proudly display in your front yard. Click here to get one. They're free.Event: Hearing on Oil Lawsuits
Case Number: BS136211
Date: Thursday, May 30
Time: 9:30 AM
Place: Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Department 85, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Parking: Available at various parking lots surrounding courthouse.
There is limited metered street parking on Grand Ave. and Hill St. |
REPORT CONCERNS ABOUT THE OIL PROJECT TO US.Open Space Legal Defense Fund's settlement put some restrictions on the oil project. We cannot disclose those restrictions but we encourage you to report your concerns to us and we will forward that information to OSLDF. If it is a violation of their agreement appropriate action will be taken.Click hear to contact us.
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OIL PROJECT SHOULD BE GOING TO TRIAL LATE MAY 2013
Soon as we have more information we will pass it on.
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There was a meeting between the City of Whittier, both oil companies and the habitat authority to share information on the oil project. This happen eights months before the project went to bid. The big question is since the project was a bid why did the City work with Matrix prior to the bid? Click above to read the e-mail.
Posted March 24, 2013
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Visit
National Fracking and Oil Watch
A source you can go to that provides information on Fracking, oil drilling and organizations that are fighting to save our environment.
Click here to visit the website
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Test Wells in the Arroyo Pescadero Park?Posted March 16, 2013
Take a look on the map to see what looks to be Test Well sites in the Arroyo Pescadero park. There are surveyor stakes all around Deer Loop Trail and Arroyo Pescadero Trail.
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Click on the map to enlarge.
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Click on MAPS on the Tool Bar. Look to see that Matrix oil has two oil facilities and one proposed oil facility in Whittier now and the forth on Whittier's border in La Habra Heights.
posted Feb. 23, 2013
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Damage is being done to the Preserve now. posted February 5, 2013
Here is your first look at the damage that is being done to the preserve by the brush cleaning. It's obscene the City and the Habitat Authority are allowing this to happen.
Click on image to enlarge
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SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCYMOUNTAINS RECREATION AND CONSERVATION AUTHORITYFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 31, 2013 Mountains
Recreation and Conservation Authority Wins Temporary Restraining Order
to Prevent the City of Whittier and Matrix Oil from Starting Oil
Drilling Project at Whittier Hills Nature Preserve LOS ANGELESAt
the request of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, the
Los Angeles County Regional Open Space District, and the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James
Chalfant granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the City of
Whittier and Matrix Oil Company to stop the company from commencing grading
and drilling activities in furtherance of its oil and drilling project
in the Whittier Hills. The City of Whittier had given Matrix Oil
permission to conduct site clearing and abandoned well identification
activities at a site in the Whittier Hills Nature preserve. Late
last year, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the MRCA and the
County filed for a preliminary injunction against the City, Matrix Oil
and Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. to stop the proposed drilling at the
nature preserve in its entirety. Yesterday, Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority rangers were informed that bulldozers and heavy
equipment had been delivered to the site and that Matrix Oil employees
had intended to begin work today, before the Court had an opportunity to
hear the merits of the MRCA’s case. The MRCA and the County quickly
asked the court to order the work stopped. This morning, the Court
agreed and issued an order halting all grading and excavation work,
allowing only vegetation removal from a small area. The TRO will be in
place until the Court has the ability to consider the motion for
preliminary injunction on February 21, 2013. “The
Whittier Hills Open Space was acquired with taxpayer money for habitat
preservation and park purposes,” said Joseph T. Edmiston, Executive
Director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. “The City of
Whittier has contractual obligations to the State, County, and MRCA. It
cannot unilaterally decide to use the nature preserve for any purpose
it sees fit. Grading, clearing, and drilling of oil wells will
irreparably harm the open space and wildlife habitat and cause
significant environmental impacts to air quality, aesthetics, hydrology
and water quality, land use, and recreational uses of the Open Space.”
The Whittier Hills Open Space was purchased with funds granted in 1992 from Los Angeles County Proposition A to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for the acquisition of park and open space land for
this generation and generations to come. The nature preserve includes
portions of the last remaining chaparral, native oak woodlands and
coastal scrub ecosystem within eastern Los Angeles County and serves as
an important wildlife corridor. Drilling for oil on the property would
cause irreparable environmental damage to the property. The
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is a State Agency dedicated to the
preservation, restoration, and creation of public parkland. The
Conservancy’s mission is to form an interlinking system of urban, rural,
and river parks, open space, trails, and wildlife habitat that are
easily accessible to the public. Since it was created by the
Legislature in 1980, the Conservancy has helped to preserve over 69,000
acres of urban and wilderness parkland throughout Southern California. The
Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) is a local
government agency established pursuant to the Joint Powers Act between
the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Conejo Recreation and Park
District, and the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. The MRCA
acquires and preserves open space and manages and provides planning,
education and interpretation, construction, ranger and fire prevention
services for parkland it owns or that is owned by the Santa Monica
Mountains Conservancy and other agencies. |
Oil Project STOPPED
by INJUNCTION
January 31, 2013
On Wednesday
January 30, 2013 it was reported that equipment was being moved in
to clear brush to start the oil project.
On the morning of Thursday
January 31, 2013 work commenced.
Supervisor Gloria Molina sent staffers out to stop the project. At the same time both
MRCA and Los Angles
County filed an emergency
injunction to stop the project. They
were successful. An injunction was
issued that only allows for brush clearing.
Equipment that is used in the test drilling process is banned from the
site. On Monday January 28, 2013 a hearing was scheduled for MRCA's
injunction to be heard that was filed in mid December 2012.
Matrix disqualified the judge that was
scheduled to hear MRCA's injunction. A
new hearing date had not been set. For
now we do have an injunction and they don't have an oil project. Congratulations to MRCA, Los Angeles County
and L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina.
Please e-mail the Supervisor and thank her for her help and the help of
her staff. Gloria Molina
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It's Not Over
Despite what you may have heard the oil project is no closer to starting today than it was in 2008. The City of Whittier has been creating smoke and mirrors to make you think this is a done deal – IT ISN’T! On October 25, 2012 L.A. County and the Board of Supervisors joined MRCA’s lawsuit against the oil project. There are currently two pending lawsuits against the City of Whittier to stop the oil project – including one from the State Attorney General. Since the money that was used to purchase the hills was funded by Prop “A”, a 1992 measure that taxed all county properties to fund land acquisition and parks, all 88 cities in the County of Los Angeles are entitled to any revenue generated by the oil project. That also means that the City of Whittier will only receive a fraction of what the City Council claims we will receive. We as Citizens should be concerned with the financial liability that the Council has taken on by spending millions of dollars of the oil company’s money without getting proper authorization for the oil project. THEY STILL DO NOT HAVE APPROVAL FOR THIS PROJECT. Who is going to pay the oil company back the millions of dollars that the City has spent when this project is stopped? L.A. County jumps on-board with MRCA's Lawsuit against Whittier and the Oil Project (10/25/12). See article below.Click here for link to article or below to pdf of article |
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING CALLED FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 29, 2013 AT 6:30 P.M. AT THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS WHITTIER CITY HALL
looks like the City is up to its old tricks again. There is a special
meeting this Tuesday night 1/29/13 at 6:30 P.M. This is for there
strategic plan. Look at items 2 and 3. The City has more smoke and
mirrors. Let be there to talk about this and let them know how we
feel. We need to talk about there not being a project because they
never got permission with the County and they gave themselves their own
permission. You can also talk about the taxpayer lawsuit where the city
is being sued by the taxpayers for their fair share of this project.
You can also talk about spending the money they don't have. Please join
me on Tuesday night.
please look at items 2 & 3.
This is part of their agenda item. The 2020 Strategic Plan
Current Work Plan Projects
1. Fred C. Nelles project (specific plan/EIR) — Specific plan to be filed in late January or February.
2. Mineral Extraction Project implementation — Preparations for drilling of test wells is underway.
3. Financial Plan (endowment/irrevocable trust) for managing mineral
extraction royalties — Draft endowment is in development and under
review by Council
subcommittee. |
Two Injunctions have been filed against Oil Project. One by MRCA and the second by Los Angeles County (December 2012)
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This is the Newest Lawsuit filed against the Oil Project on December 14, 2012. It is Lawsuit Number 4 filed by a Taxpayers Group. Click Below
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City's Letter to L.A. County April 23, 1996. This letter is mentioned in L.A. County's Lawsuit filed October 25, 2012. City said they would keep the Whittier Hills in Perpetuity. Below is an excerpt from L.A. County's lawsuit filed October 25, 2012.
In April 1996, Whittier's City Manager wrote a letter to the
District regarding the Whittier Hills Property and stated that Whittier will use the property acquired with
Proposition A . grant monies "only for the purpose for which the grant
monies were requested from said District and Conservancy and will not permit
any other use of the area, except as allowed by specific act of the
County Board of Supervisors as governing Board of the District”.
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April 23, 1996 Letter from Whittier to L.A. County and Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy. Talks about Whittier keeping the land in perpetuity.
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The City Never Got the County's Consent to move forward with the Oil Lease.
Read the E-mail excerptppp below.
From: shelyey@whittierch.org
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 10:31 AM
To: Ilona Volkmann;
csalseda@counseLlacounty.goy
Subject: FW: From Jim Day-Long Form Lease and
Resolution of Intention
Attachments: REDLINE-Long Form Oil, Gas and Mineral
Lease (00906622).DOC; REDLlNE- Resolution of Intention to Lease (00906620).DOC; REDLINE-Alternate Resolutiuon
oflntention to
Lease (00906621).DOC
Ilona
Here are the latest documents. I'd appreciate it if you and Christina
would look at section 6.1 to see if that meets your needs so that we can get your consent to enter into the lease.
Any idea on the timing for us to receive the Districts consent to the
lease?
Steve
WHITTIER MAIN 2008 MINERAL EXTRACTION
OIL, GAS AND MINERAL LEASE
6.1.
No Surface Entry Unless and Until Conditional Use Permit Obtained and
CEQA Complied With. Lessee shall not be entitled to make any surface
entry on the Leased Land (other than for visual inspection or surveying
purposes in support of an application for a Conditional Use Permit)
unless and until:
(iv)
no Conditional Use Permit will be issued by the City of Whittier until
Lessor has obtained a release from protected area status of that portion
of the Leased Land upon which surface operations are allowed under an
issued Conditional Use Permit from the Los Angeles County Proposition A
District.
The Statement below is from L.A. County's Lawsuit filed October 25, 2012. This is line 32. It proves the City NEVER got the County's Approval for the oil Lease with Matrix.
32. Without
the approval of the District, Whittier adopted a
resolution of intent to leaseH the Whittier Hills Property for production of
oil, gas and other hydrocarbons ("Resolution of Intent 11 to Lease").
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