Posted: January 10th, 2007

New Oil Drill Proposal in Baldwin Hills Requires Public Participation and Full Information

Oil company PXP is proposing 24 new oil wells in the Baldwin Hills, even though PXP concedes there have been past “odor and noise issues.” The City Project and Mujeres de la Tierra have submitted public comments calling for full environmental review of the oil drill proposal to study or mitigate impacts on surrounding children, families, communities, parks, and open space. A negative declaration is not enough; a full environmental impact report is required.

The City Project has long supported the creation of a world class park in Baldwin Hills. We worked with the community to stop a proposed power plant there in 2001, to stop a garbage dump in 2003, and to save the Baldwin Hills Conservancy and its budget in 2005 when a Governor’s commission threatened both.

Read our public comments against the negative declaration. Public comments from others including the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, The City of Culver City, and the Culver Crest Neighborhood Association are also posted.

The L.A. Times today describes the natural beauty of the Baldwin Hills and the benefits of the park to the community.

Public Interest Law and Beyond
An Interview with Robert Garcia
The Bar Review, Journal of the Bar of Ireland
By Aideen Collard

Following conferences in Dublin on public interest law to improve the position of disadvantaged and vulnerable people by FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centers), Ireland’s Bar Review has published an interview with Robert Garcia, “a remarkable human being, a human rights lawyer who has dedicated his life to a diverse range of Public Interest Law work from defending the convicted on death row to leading the Urban Park Movement.” Aideen Collard discusses diverse strategies enlisted by The City Project to achieve success. Read more…

Cómo Se Dice Environmentalism en Español?
LA’s Salsa Verde Movement empowers a new flavor of eco-activist
Whole Life Times
by Nate Springer

A recent article on the Latino Environmental and Urban Park Movements features The City Project’s work. “Garcia envisions an LA teeming with parks and schools. ‘It’s not just about protecting the Earth, it’s about taking care of the Earth and its people, and economic vitality,’ he enthuses. A distinguished public interest attorney, Garcia articulates a case for environmentalism in service of the people. He has co-authored several policy briefs on parks and health, including statistics showing that LA County Assembly Districts with the highest proportion of overweight children correlate to the highest concentration of people of color. Lack of safe outdoor play space contributes to this problem, he insists. ” Read more…

Concrete `river’ Eyed As Wildlife Refuge
The AP wire features the revitalization of the L.A. River.

New Partners for Smart Growth, Smart Schools

Robert Garcia will speak on “Smart Schools and Smart Growth” at the 6th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference February 8-10, 2007, 11-12:30 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.