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Crossroads in Huasna Valley

By April Charlton/Senior Staff Writer

When Dave and Jacki Seibert spent their life savings to buy property in Huasna Valley eight years ago, they never dreamed an oil field could one day become their neighbor.

But that’s exactly the prospect that the Seiberts and many of their neighbors along Huasna Townsite Road in the rural valley east of Arroyo Grande are now facing.

Excelaron LLC, a subsidiary of Australian Oil Co., is requesting a conditional-use permit from San Luis Obispo County to allow for oil exploration and production on the Mankins Ranch in Huasna. The company’s request to drill up to four new test wells on the property will be heard Oct. 9 by the county Planning Commission.

The 5,000-acre ranch is directly across from the Sieberts’ property, and the couple isn’t happy that Excelaron could find oil in the hills and build an oil production plant within earshot of their house.

“I’m not against oil; I’m against this project,” Dave Seibert said. “It’s going to affect our lifestyle. We moved out here for the quiet and the solitude. We wanted this lifestyle.”

During a town hall meeting last week that focused on the proposed project, Excelaron President Grant Jagelman told the audience of about 300 Huasna residents that the company was willing to work with them to address their concerns.

“We’ve already made some changes (to the project),” Jagelman said. “We will make whatever changes we can to accommodate the community. I’m here to listen.”

The Sieberts and their neighbors, however, are concerned that if the county approves the project, property values in the valley will drop drastically and people won’t be able to sell their homes even if they’re willing to move out. The Seiberts, who both work for the county, bought their property as a retirement investment and plan to eventually sell it for retirement income.

“It’s akin to living next to the railroad tracks, in the flight path or next to the bus stop,” Dave Seibert said.

“Who is going to buy the house next to the bus stop? This is going to limit our ability to sell. I will never be able to sell it.”

Much like their neighbors Trevor and Monique Floth, who live adjacent to the Mankins Ranch, the Seiberts are also concerned that the oil project could harm the pristine environment in the valley.

If Excelaron begins producing oil at the site, large trucks carrying crude oil will have to cross two creeks to get the oil off the ranch and onto the Nipomo Mesa. Excelaron hopes to truck any oil found at the site to the Conoco Philips refinery on the Mesa.

“It’s in an ecologically sensitive area and too remote of a spot,” Seibert said. “The whole thing is a disaster.”

The Floths, whose home is 15 feet away from the road that the oil trucks would use to reach the production site, don’t believe the county is looking at all of the environmental impacts or requiring enough mitigation measures.

“It’s not just my property; it’s everyone’s property,” Trevor Floth said. “It’s definitely going to have nothing but impacts. The livelihood (out here) is at risk. I’m not going to live here for 40 years with that.”

Floth used to operate an organic nursery from his property but he has suspended the operation over his concern about pollution from the proposed oil project next door. He doesn’t plan to reopen his nursery unless the project is denied.

County planning staff members are using an environmental impact report (EIR) that was developed for a proposed exploration and production project on the Mankins property in the late 1980s for Excelaron’s proposal, along with a “mitigated negative declaration,” which is an official decision that a new environmental impact study isn’t necessary.

“Things haven’t changed that much in Huasna Valley” since the original EIR was done, county planner John McKenzie said.

“The negative declaration, while it’s not an EIR, has substantially more conditions that are much tighter than what the EIR used,” he added.

If oil is found at the site and production begins, the oil company’s plan calls for a maximum of eight rounds trips a day for the trucks, which is also raising concerns with Huasna residents.

The proposed route for the trucks would be along Huasna Townsite Road to Huasna Road, which along some stretches is very winding and steep with some blind spots.

“It’s beyond dangerous,” Trevor Floth said about Huasna Road.

“We’ve had to swerve (when a big truck) is coming because there’s not enough room for it to turn,” Monique added. “There’s a lot of times we’ve almost gone off the edge.”

To mitigate potential traffic safety issues along the truck route, the county plans to require that pilot cars accompany trucks that are 30 feet or longer along the winding, narrow section of Huasna Road. The trucks also won’t be allowed on the road during school bus times, McKenzie said.

Regardless of such restrictions that might be placed on the project, Huasna residents say the roads are too dangerous for large trucks carrying oil.

“The project has no positive outlook except for the county and Excelaron,” Floth said.

If Excelaron finds oil on the property, which is owned by former 4th District county supervisor Howard Mankins, it would be the first new oil field in the county in years.

Excelaron’s permit request will be heard Oct. 9 by the county Planning Commission, which will be the final authority on the project unless the commission’s decision is appealed.

An appeal would be heard by the county Board of Supervisors.

OIL DRILLING IN THE HUASNA VALLEY:

Under the conditional-use permit, Excelaron LLC would be allowed to transport 1,500 barrels of oil a day in eight truck trips to and from the property.

The company wants to drill up to four new test wells on the 5,000-acre Mankins Ranch in Huasna.

About 30 years ago, approval was gained to drill test wells on the Mankins land. However, oil production never commenced on the property because the price of gas and crude oil dropped significantly at that time, according to county officials.

If Excelaron begins producing oil at the site, large trucks carrying crude oil will have to cross two creeks to get the oil off the ranch and onto the Nipomo Mesa. Excelaron hopes to truck any oil found at the site to the Conoco Philips refinery on the Mesa.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Excelaron’s permit request will be heard Oct. 9 by the county Planning Commission, which will be the final authority on the project unless the commission’s decision is appealed.

An appeal would be heard by the county Board of Supervisors.

acharlton@timespressrecorder.com