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Photo Credit: Ken Lund

Is money all it takes to overturn a government’s regulatory laws?  Independent oil company Veneco Inc. is certainly trying to prove it with its attempts to amend regulatory laws in Southern California.

Veneco Inc. owns a large oil storage facility in Carpinteria, California, a charming beach town just outside of Santa Barbara.  In 2005, it first proposed the Paredon Initiative, with plans to install an oil deck next to its storage facilities and do an offshore drill for oil in the ocean.  The project would sit right next to several residential areas, which could cause many health and environmental issues for the residents and disturb the coastal habitat.  Since this project is illegal in Carpinteria, negotiations ensued and an environmental review was conducted. 11 “significant and unavoidable impacts” were identified.  Earlier last year, Veneco Inc. moved to get their proposal on the 2010 ballot, succeeding after spending $155,000 or more.

In June, the people of Carpinteria will vote on whether the Paredon Oil and Gas Initiative will become reality.  As a native of Santa Barbara, I can tell you that people in Carpinteria love their ocean-side town and would do whatever they could to keep it from destruction.  The ocean makes up a big part of Carpinteria, and with it comes an overall eco-friendly nature.  But, if Measure J is passed, Veneco will not have to worry about regulations, permits, disturbing the peace, health issues, or the unstable coastal bluff habitat.  They can do what they want, without a care for the town that they bought out.

To read the original L.A. Times article, click here.