Public Forum Tonight to Discuss Fracking in the Baldwin Hills/Inglewood Oil Field

Community members and families who live or work near the Baldwin Hills oil field are encouraged to attend an open forum tonight to voice their concerns and ask questions about "fracking" – a controversial practice that aims to access hard-to-reach deposits of oil and gas using enhanced drilling techniques. The method includes injecting a mixture of water, sand and toxic chemicals into the ground. Nationwide, fracking has prompted debate about the impacts to ground and surface waters, as well as its potential link to earthquakes.

According to a press release from the Community Health Councils, Inc., months after an agreement to increase health and safety protection in the Baldwin Hills Oil Field - the largest contiguous urban oil field in the country - Plains Exploration & Production, the oil company in charge of the field, has begun fracking in the area.

At tonight’s meeting, State Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) Supervisor Tim Kustic and Chief Deputy Director Jason Marshall will join representatives from PXP, the Department of Regional Planning and County and State government to speak to community members and families who live in affected communities including members of the Greater Baldwin Hills Alliance.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area Community Center, 4100 South La Cienega Blvd. (overlooking the oil fields)

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