I would like to congratulate the Hermosa Beach City Council for negotiating a final settlement to the Macpherson Oil debacle. The elegance of the settlement is twofold: first, it limits the City’s exposure to a final sum of $17.5 million; and second, it puts the final decision on how to proceed exactly where it belongs – squarely in the hands of Hermosa’s citizens. Before we decide what to do, it is incumbent on every one of us to take the time to listen to and understand the facts before making a decision. Exactly what are the potential risks and can they be qualified? Exactly what are the potential benefits and can they be qualified? Surely the technology has evolved and the risks and benefits are different from the original 1985 proposal. We all manage risks and benefits in our lives every day – from living here in the land of earthquakes, mudslides, and pestilence to taking an aspirin. Sometimes the benefits outweigh the risks and sometimes they don’t. We may eventually decide that settling for $17.5 million is a better outcome than allowing drilling, but we should make that decision based on an informed assessment. We need to allow for the possibility that the benefits of drilling might, just might, outweigh the risks. I do not know of a single person in Hermosa Beach with enough information to make that decision today. I know I certainly don’t have enough information. Those who are opposed to oil drilling in Hermosa Beach have already “declared war.” This kind of heated rhetoric is unnecessary and unhealthy. Given the long-term ramifications of whatever decision we make, reacting from an emotional, uninformed, position of fear, is not prudent for our community. So let’s listen together, gather the facts, and make an informed and rational decision that is in the long-term best interests of Hermosa Beach.
Jerry Gross
Hermosa Beach
