Venoco's Measure J was wrong for Carpinteria and no amount of money could change that.
- Venoco's Measure J would have put the health & safety of our Carpinteria community at risk.
- Measure J did not guarantee any royalties to the City or any money to community organizations.
- The risks of the Paredon Project were not worth the gamble.
- Measure J exempted a private corporation from the laws that apply to the rest us.
- The devil was in the details: Venoco was counting on voters not reading the fine print of their 50 page measure.
- Measure J contained a classic “bait-and-switch,” allowing Venoco to change the Paredon Project after it’s been voted on.
- Our town is not for sale.
Venoco's Measure J (the Paredon Oil and Gas Development Initiative) Would Have Allowed:
- Development of a massive oil drilling project in the City of Carpinteria adjacent to residential neighborhoods, Tar Pits Park and the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve [Please SEE Paredon Project page for project details]
Photo of an oil drilling rig in the Middle East that is approximately the same height as the proposed Paredon Project rig.
If Voters Had Not Defeated It, Venoco's Measure J (the The Paredon Oil and Gas Development Initiative):
- Would have permited Venoco to bypass all the City's Public Review process that protects public health & safety and preserves the character of our community.
- Would have actually required each voter to make specific "findings," such as:
- "the Paredon Project will be performed safely,"
- "extended reach drilling is environmentally safe and feasible," and
- "the Paredon Project will not cause or contribute to subsidence hazards"
- Would not have provided data, research, or expertise to allow the voter to make the above findings.
- Would have trumped all "rules, regulations or official policies of the City," including the Carpinteria Municipal Code.
- Would have amended our General Plan/Local Coastal Plan in 16 places.
- Would have exempted Venoco from established community policies that conflict with their private corporate plans.
- Would have prevented our present or future City Councils from changing these amendments.
- Would have required permits to be issued in the absence of critically important environmental review (specifically excluding "additional environmental analysis").
- Would have forced our City to issue permits for a massive project that is not currently allowed by our Zoning Ordinance. (Oil drilling has been prohibited in the City of Carpinteria since its 1965 incorporation.)
In the Absence of the Normal Public Review Process, the Proposed Initiative, Had It Passed:
- Would not have adequately addressed the health & safety of the Carpinteria community or the preservation of sensitive environmental and cultural resources.
(c) copyright 2009 Ted Rhodes
- Did not guarantee any money to the City or community organizations.
- Did not require guarantees of insurance or proof of financial responsibility for cleanup or disaster compensation.
A western oil company facility in Central Asia, circa 2006. Oil drilling remains an industry full of safety risks.
- Did not limit the number or size of oil industry truck traffic over Casitas Pass Road, Bailard, and Carpinteria Avenue, nor does it provide for repair to damaged roadways.
- Did not even guarantee that Venoco will be the project developer. (In fact, it states that: "Any Person wishing to undertake development in accordance with this Specific Plan shall obtain a permit issued by the City.")
The above information is only a summary of what voters need to know to make an informed decision about the proposed oil drilling Initiative. To have a complete understanding, please see the Resource guide.
View a comparison of Venoco's Measure J vs. the City's normal review process:
The upper half of the above flowchart shows the City of Carpinteria's normal planning review and permitting process.
[Click on image for larger view]
Clicking on the image to the right will give you an enlarged version of this flowchart.
