Dozens of concerned South Coast citizens turned out Tuesday
night to a scoping hearing about a proposed Venoco oil project
along Carpinteria’s coast. The Paradon Project calls for the
construction of a 175-foot-tall oil rig along the Carpinteria bluff
tops that would harvest an estimated 23.5 million barrels of crude
oil and 43 billion cubic feet of natural gas by drilling down and
out toward the ocean floor. While some speakers mentioned possible
positive impacts of the project, the majority were opposed, citing
the monstrous size of the rig, the likely impacts on nearby
property values, and numerous environmental and health risks.
