Story Courtesy LPFW

Last month, two regulatory agencies cancelled permits for three oil wells in the Sespe Oil Field after receiving complaints that the approvals were issued erroneously, and without any public notice, hearing, or environmental review.

The permits – issued by the County of Ventura Planning Division and the California Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources – authorized Texas-based oil company Seneca Resources Corporation to deepen three existing oil wells along a tributary of Sespe Creek, just one-half mile from the boundary of the Sespe Condor Sanctuary. Operations like this in the Sespe Oil Field have increasingly relied on hydraulic fracturing, the controversial oil extraction technique involving pumping sand, water, and thousands of gallons of chemicals underground to stimulate oil production.

The permits were issued the same week that the U.S. Forest Service announced a proposal to hydraulically fracture eight additional wells on national forest land in the same area. Fracking has been approved or proposed for a total of 29 wells in the Sespe Oil Field since 2011.

“Fracking is making an alarming resurgence in the Sespe watershed, one of the most ecologically sensitive areas in Ventura County,” said Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch, a watchdog organization that monitors oil drilling in the Los Padres National Forest. “No fracking should occur here until regulations are finalized and until environmental studies on the impacts of fracking are completed.”

The drilling was initially approved by the Planning Division as an “over-the-counter” Zoning Clearance on May 5, 2014. Zoning clearances are issued by planning staff for minor projects that have already been approved under a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The County issued a CUP for these oil wells in 1976, and significantly updated that permit in 1981.

However, when the oil CONTINUED »

Long time Fillmore resident and local farmer Scott Beylik announced his candidacy for the Fillmore Unified
School District Board officially filing his papers for the November 2014 General Election.

Current Councilmember Diane McCall announced her candidacy for Fillmore City Council Monday, July 28, 2014.

More in next week’s Gazette edition.

07/08/14
Surveillance
700 Blk. A St.
Lost Property
500 Blk. Ventura St.
Search Warrant
200 Blk. E. Telegraph Rd.
700 Blk. Edison Ln.
Labor Camp
Keep the Peace
300 Blk. Saratoga St.
Abandoned Vehicle
500 Blk. Central Ave.
07/09/14
Surveillance
700 Blk. A St.
Robbery
Central Ave./Main St.
Search Warrant
300 Blk. Fillmore St.
Keep the Peace
900 3rd St.
Threats CONTINUED »

Will the City of Fillmore continue to attract tourism to town without the Fillmore and Western Train is a question many Fillmore residents are asking. It all comes down to money and who is responsible for maintaining the tracks and capital improvements.

There are approximately 177,200 miles of track in service in the U.S. which require vigilant inspections, maintenance, repair and replacement in order to keep freight and passenger trains moving safely. The dispute with Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and Fillmore and Western is a 32 miles stretch of track from Montalvo to Fillmore.

In 1991 the City of Fillmore, through its Redevelopment Agency (RDA), agreed to move Short Line Enterprises Fillmore Production Railroad (SLE) to Fillmore to create film production and tourism in town. The agreement between Southern Pacific and Fillmore's RDA was a lease of railroad tracks from Fillmore to 12th Street in Santa Paula for filming and tourist trains. SLE was responsible for maintaining the tracks at a Class 1 standard.

In 1995 the Cities of Fillmore, Santa Paula and Ventura RDA's and Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) agreed to purchase Southern Pacific's branch line between Montalvo Wye to the Los Angeles County Line for a price of $9,000,000, mostly paid by government grants, with each town's RDA's contributing $50,000. At the time that stretch between Montalvo and Santa Paula was "Excepted" and could only haul freight. The following year Dave Wilkinson purchased the train and changed the name to Fillmore and Western (F&W).

According to Dave CONTINUED »