Stop the Proposed 20-year Residential Oil Drilling Permit Extension in Signal Hill

Photo: Oil well and pumpjacks near housing developments in the City of Signal Hill. Once a massive oil producing area, oil wells are still mixed in its now residential neighborhoods. Los Angeles Coutny, California, USA by Peter Bennett

Signal Hill Petroleum (SHP) is seeking an unprecedented 20-year extension and expansion of their oil drilling operations under Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 97-03 at 7 drill sites within Signal Hill right next to homes, schools, hospitals, parks, and community businesses. As oil & gas production in California faces mounting pushback based on environmental and human health risks, SHP is seeking to quietly skirt this by locking in another 20 years of drilling and up to 46 new wells to further delay the clean energy transition.

Current and proposed drill sites will be within the 3,200-ft “health protection zone” setback recommended by the state of California (SB 1137) of homes, schools, parks, and businesses. This proposed new setback is based on research from the scientific community that is presented by organizations like the LA County Department of Public Health showing that living near oil derricks is linked to cancer, respiratory illnesses, and cardiovascular diseases, often shouldered on disadvantaged communities.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated a year ago that existing and currently planned fossil fuel projects are already more than the climate can handle. Continuing oil drilling in Signal Hill for any amount of time, but especially for another 20 years, is antithetical to these findings.

ACTION: Sign the petition below to tell the Signal Hill City Council to NOT approve Signal Hill Petroleum’s permit (CUP 97-03), stop oil drilling in Signal Hill, and stop sacrificing the health of people, children, and the Earth in exchange for oil profits.

Photo: Oil well and pumpjacks near housing developments in the City of Signal Hill. Once a massive oil producing area, oil wells are still mixed in its now residential neighborhoods. Los Angeles Coutny, California, USA by Peter Bennett

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RE: Signal Hill Petroleum CUP 97-03 Extension EIR

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Signal Hill City Council Members and Community Development Director Colleen Doan, Please do NOT approve CUP 97-03. Senate Bill 1137 outlines a 3,200-ft health protection zone based on the increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular illness around oil wells, and the 7 drill sites in the proposed 20-year Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 97-03 extension have many homes, parks, schools, businesses, and medical centers within this 3,200-ft zone. This means 3 zip codes (90755, 90806, 90809) and thousands of people across Signal Hill and Long Beach will continue to have their health put at additional risk for the next 20 years if the City of Signal Hill approves the CUP 97-03 permit extension. Residential oil drilling puts the community at risk for cancer and other negative health impacts while contributing to climate change by leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas which causes climate change. Stop sacrificing the health of your constituents and the climate in exchange for oil profits and please do what is right for the health of your community. Do not approve this unprecedented 20-year permit extension and stop oil drilling altogether in Signal Hill. The environmental documents released as part of the CEQA process thus far minimize and fail to acknowledge the full extent of the climate, human health, and ecological ramifications of extending oil and gas drilling another 20 years and adding 46 brand new wells. When the complete long-term climate and health impacts are taken into consideration, the answer is clear: the economic benefits do not outweigh the dangers.