The Westside Community Council was there supporting the cause.
On July 17, from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, hundreds of community members from around California including Ventura, Culver City, Playa Del Rey, and Aliso Canyon met at Kellogg Park to demand Gov. Newsom instruct the California Public Utilities Commission to conduct an Environmental Impact Review before any further work can be completed on the SoCalGas facility, and to phase out oil and gas drilling immediately.
More than 200 people attended the ‘Fight to Stop Ventura SoCalGas Compressor’ protest. They displayed signs opposing the compressor station and lisend tgo speakers opposing the site.
For years, Ventura’s Westside community has lived near the Southern California Gas Company compressor station. It has been considered by NASA as a super-emitter of methane.
SoCalGas has initiated efforts to double the size of the facility that sits across the street from an elementary school and Boys and Girls Club. Approximately 500 people live within a quarter mile of the facility, but as many as 4,750 live within a half mile radius close enough to be impacted by a gas explosion. The site s located at 1555 N. Olive St.
Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, Inc. stated “As CEO of Patagonia, I am working in solidarity with the community of West Ventura and Patagonia’s 500 Ventura based employees to oppose this dangerous project. Patagonia’s headquarters has been located down the road on West Santa Clara Street since our founding in 1973. As a global company that is in business to save our home planet, it’s our responsibility to use our resources to protect our employees, neighbors and community from harm. We believe it’s urgent to put people before the interests of the fossil fuel industry.”
“Oil and gas infrastructure has no place near homes and schools. Patagonia applauds Mayor Rubalcava and our city councilors, along with community groups and environmental activists, for protecting residents. We urge our elected and appointed officials to continue to block the expansion of this dangerous facility. We want SoCalGas to safely clean up this site under the watchful eyes of government officials and local activists and shut down this compressor station.
To learn more about the efforts to stop SoCalGas’ expansion of the gas compressor on Olive Street, please visit westsidecleanair.org. Their demands are:
The Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) must hold a bilingual community hearing with residents that would be affected, including parents of children who attend EP Foster Elementary School;
There must be an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Health Impact Assessment of the entire scope of the cleanup and expansion project at 1555 N. Olive St;
Rather than expand this facility, SoCal Gas must create a plan to clean up the toxic soil and shut down the compressor station. We do not want this in our neighborhood.
