Transcripts from DTCS Hearing 1-19-05 with guest Anthony Patchett, Special Assistant District Attorney and Head of Belmont Task Force

ANTHONY PATCHETT: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’ve been sitting here listening to what has gone on today, and I spent about six hours today preparing, just reviewing documents. My name is Anthony Patchett. I’m a retired Deputy District Attorney. I spent 11 years in the Environmental Crimes Division. I was brought back into the office in 2000 as Special Assistant District Attorney and Head of the Belmont Task Force. I spent $1.5 million of your taxpayer money to look at that site, and when you look at this site, I’m really disappointed in DTSC because when you look on the internet, DTSC tells you that they are there to protect California and Californians. Never in the history has a high school been built over an abandoned oil field. LAUSD knew from the get-go what the circumstances were at that site. They paid $30 million for that site “as is.” They knew they were purchasing a hazardous waste facility, because LAUSD has a history of buying contaminated sites for school. Look at Jefferson. Look at Southgate. The students down there might glow someday. You know, when you look at hydrogen sulfide and you look at it, how are you going to mitigate the particular damages that are at that site? You have to realize, DTSC was out of the loop since 1991 on this site. There was no communication between DTSC and LAUSD, and I beg to differ with Mr. Hamid Saebfar because he said LAUSD contacted them. That’s not true. Scott Wildman contacted DTSC and said, “Get your butt down there and do something for the people.” And that’s what you haven’t done before. You know, in the 11 years I spent in the Environmental Crimes Division, you brought me one good criminal case. Your business that I see on the internet is the closest thing to extortion, ‘cause what you do is, you take administrative fines from businesses, and that’s all you do. You know, it’s amazing how much money you have in your system. But I want to read one letter that was written by the attorney representing LAUSD (Mr. David Cartwright, Sr. Partner O'Melveny & Myers) This is dated May 9, 1990:

"They presented a bleak picture of the Temple/Beaudry site. The old Los Angeles oil field runs through this site. There are 13 known abandoned wells and one currently producing well. DOG suspects that there may be dozens more unmarked
abandoned wells dating back over 100 years. The shallowness of the oil field means there is substantial likelihood of one or more of the following conditions arising: A large pressurized build-up of natural gas and/or oil could occur if the site is covered by structures and concrete. Seepage of oil is likely. The threat of a natural gas-induced explosion is as likely here as in the Fairfax area. If the one producing well is shut down and abandoned, the likely result will be repressurization of the oil field, with consequences as in above. Many bootleg wells are uncharted, exist on this site and may never be discovered, even during grading. Thus, a dangerous condition will remain. There are natural gas problems which will require venting and perhaps even flaring. DOG suspects that petroleum operations involving hazardous materials may have been conducted on this site many decades ago. The likelihood of serious contamination is high. The proximity of hydrocarbons made this area a heavy industrial site 50 years ago. Mr. Baker of the DOG made the following observations, in which Manly Oil concurs: This is the most troublesome and problematic oil field in the entire county. The Temple/Beaudry site is not fit for any construction. DOG cannot imagine a worse site for a school. The City has to refuse to even address the issue in the Central City West Specific Plan. DOG insists that no structure shall be built over a well. The maintenance of the existing producing well requires full access by tanker truck."

The apparent conclusion of all parties, including the District technical people was that the school could not and should not be built at the Temple/Beaudry site. The foregoing is a paraphrased summary of our meeting. I have no doubt that I left out some details. However, the message probably comes through loud and clear. I think this matter needs to go to the Board in closed session right away, given the possible catastrophic effect on the Temple/Beaudry agreement.

So I’m asking you, DTSC, not to permit – you have three other schools that LAUSD is building in close proximity to this area, within one mile. Not one of those schools is being built over an abandoned oil field. This school should not go forward. You should make it a park. Thank you very much.