Signal Tribune Newspaper

Congresswoman Laura Richardson, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Dr. Mike Walter toured oil facilities and ports.

Photo by Henry Rogers

BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer

Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D- 37th District) toured the facilities of Signal Hill Petroleum and the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles this week to get a better idea of what is going on in her district. She visited the oil-production facilities on Monday and the ports on Tuesday. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D – 30th District, TX ) accompanied Richardson on the port tours. Johnson is chairwoman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment.
On Monday, after touring various facilities operated by Signal Hill Petroleum, Richardson said she was very impressed by the way the company does business. “Everything is painted and landscaped well, and they operate only 12 hours per day,” she explained. “They are very thoughtful of the surrounding neighborhoods and go to great lengths to make sure that their operations do not inconvenience the people who live in the vicinity of their oil wells and other facilities.”
Richardson said she was also impressed with the fact that Signal Hill Petroleum treats its own water and produces much of its own energy. “We are trying to get all companies in the nation to do these kinds of things,” she noted.
Richardson added that the company also plays a vital role in the area’s economy. “It provides much needed tax revenues and jobs, but it does more than that,” she said. “Until going on this tour, I did not realize that Signal Hill Petroleum is very involved in commercial and residential developments in this area. The fact that they are not only an oil company but maximize the use of their land is very impressive. When you look at the sales-tax revenues that Signal Hill gets from some of those developments, you realize how important this company is.”
Turning back to oil production, Richardson said it was important for American oil companies to fully develop their resources so that the United States is not so dependent on foreign oil. “When we are dependent on foreign interests, we cannot have the independence that we need,” she stressed. “We have to learn how to rely on ourselves, use the resources that we have, and do things better.”
On Tuesday, just before the tour of the Port of Long Beach, Richardson, who is also on the Transportation Committee, explained why she felt it is important to bring Johnson to the 37th District. “We need to bring as many people in leadership positions to this area so that when we are talking they can see in real life what it is that we are concerned with,” she said. She added that Johnson spent many years as a businesswoman in Texas before being elected to Congress 17 years ago. “She has a good feel for how you have to balance business and environmental requirements,” Richardson said.
A few days earlier, Richardson announced that she had secured $100,000 in federal funding in the House Appropriations Committee Energy and Water Bill that, if passed, would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate federal interest in reconfiguration of the Long Beach Breakwater. That could bring back the waves to portions of the Long Beach shoreline. Proponents of the reconfiguration insist that it would also improve water quality, continue to promote navigation, preserve coastal zones and protect property.
Meanwhile, the Port of Long Beach officials have been lobbying Congress for more federal funds to pay for the much-needed infrastructure improvements in the port and its surrounding areas. During the port tour, Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Dr. Mike Walter discussed some of the port’s needs with the two congresswomen.
“We are very aware of the many infrastructure problems (throughout the United States),” Johnson said. “The longer we wait, the more expensive they become.” She noted, however, that President Barack Obama has asked Congress to delay the reauthorization of many infrastructure improvement projects. “That’s a hard pill to swallow considering all the needs that we have,” she noted, stressing that bridges and many other vital components of America’s transportation network are in dire need of repair. She added that virtually every large body of water in the U.S. is contaminated and in need of environmental remediation, and trying to fund so many projects is a daunting task.
During Johnson’s visit, the two congresswomen also went on a helicopter tour of four water treatment plants, the Alameda Corridor, the two ports, Carson, Compton and the Southeast Resource Recovery Facility.