There’s been much controversy about the boom in oil drilling around Baldwin Hills, where residents say the oil wells are noisy, unsightly and potentially unhealthy. Well, L.A. County officials now have an idea for dealing with the unsightly part: Plant lush landscaping in an bid to conceal the oil wells. Supervisor Yvonne Burke pitched the idea, which generated some support. But the Culver City News says some residents aren’t convinced:

Not everyone is pleased with the plans for landscaping. “This is just makeup, I don’t want trees that cover up [the oilwells] and do cosmetic changes,” scoffed Irma Muñoz, a member of the Greater Baldwin Hills Alliance who lives in Baldwin Hills near the oilfields. “I want them to take those oil wells and make them healthy for us.”

There has been a big push by some residents to make Baldwin Hills less of an oil field and more of a park. Over at the political blog Daily Kos, they connect the Baldwin Hills oil wars to the national debate about oil exploration and the infamous political chant “Drill Baby Drill.”

– Shelby Grad

Photo: LAT file