latimes--2020-03-05--Coronavirus cases on Grand Princess cruise ship pose new danger in California

Gov .
Gavin Newsom declared a coronavirus state of emergency Wednesday , hours after California announced its first death , involving a person who got sick on a cruise ship possibly more than half-filled with passengers from the state .
Local health officials were trying to assess whether others who took the cruise became ill from a virus that has been reported in 12 counties in the state and has sickened more than 50 people .
The declaration underscored the growing seriousness of the virus as it spreads in the United States , claiming 11 lives and sending financial markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state of emergency , and in Washington , House lawmakers struck a deal to allocate about $ 8 billion to help the federal government fight the virus .
The death announced Wednesday involved a 71-year-old man from Rocklin , in Northern California ’ s Placer County , who had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise to Mexico .
The man first developed symptoms while on a Princess Cruises voyage from San Francisco to Mexico that returned Feb. 21 , said Dr. Aimee Sisson , Placer County ’ s public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms while traveling through the Port of San Francisco , then called 911 and was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Roseville on Feb. 27 .
He was tested for COVID-19 on Sunday , and the results returned positive Tuesday .
The patient died the next morning , Sisson said .
It ’ s possible that other cruise passengers may have been exposed , officials said .
Placer County Public Health is working closely with Sacramento County Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify and contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient , ” Sisson said .
“ While we have expected more cases , this death is an unfortunate milestone in our efforts to fight this disease , and one that we never wanted to see.
” Princess Cruises said it was notified by the CDC that it is investigating a small cluster of cases in Northern California among guests who sailed aboard the Grand Princess to Mexico .
The company said that 62 guests on that voyage remain onboard for a current trip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caution , these guests and other possible close crew contacts have been asked to remain in their staterooms until screened by the ship ’ s medical team .
Newsom on Wednesday announced a new case in Sonoma County , where an individual who traveled on the same Grand Princess cruise ship as the Placer County victim contracted the virus and is in “ very difficult condition.
” The governor added that the Grand Princess was expected to return from Hawaii to San Francisco on Wednesday after cutting the cruise short , canceling its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held the ship off the coast because several passengers and crew members have exhibited coronavirus symptoms .
By one estimate , more than 50 % of the roughly 2,500 passengers who returned on the Grand Princess on Feb. 21 were Californians , Newsom said .
The state will contact every county health official with passengers in their area by Wednesday night , he said .
Newsom is asking the Legislature to make $ 20 million available for the state to respond to the coronavirus and announced the California Department of Public Health is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ N95 masks to distribute to healthcare workers on the front lines .
Los Angeles County declared its own health emergency Wednesday as its number of coronavirus cases increased to seven , including six new patients .
None of the new cases are believed to be “ community spread , '' officials said .
All individuals were exposed to the virus through close contacts with others who were infected .
The additional cases were confirmed Tuesday night .
Officials said three of the new cases were travelers who had visited northern Italy , two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a person outside the county who was infected , and one had a job that put them in contact with travelers .
One patient has been hospitalized , and the others are isolated at home .
“ I want to reiterate this is not a response rooted in panic , ” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a news briefing .
“ We need every tool at our disposal.
” The cities of Pasadena and Long Beach are also declaring public health emergencies related to the novel coronavirus .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Los Angeles County will increase its capacity for testing of the virus at its public health laboratory .
Officials will begin daily radio briefings for the public , post new guidelines for schools and colleges , and over the next week will send “ technical assistance teams ” to make site visits to temporary housing facilities including homeless shelters .
Officials urged people to frequently wash their hands , opt for verbal salutations in place of hugs and handshakes and try to maintain a distance of six feet from strangers .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to protect the well-being of our loved ones and our neighbors , ” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said .
A screener of incoming flights from China and surrounding countries at Los Angeles International Airport is among the new cases that have tested positive for coronavirus in L.A. County , according to two sources familiar with the report .
The screener , who is attached to the CDC , last worked Feb. 21 at LAX and , after developing potential symptoms , alerted medical professionals and authorities .
The person was formally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so far has a mild case and is isolated at home .
In Placer , the death of the cruise ship passenger was the county ’ s second confirmed case of COVID-19 , reported Tuesday night , and it raised local concerns of further contagion .
Health officials tried to address those concerns Wednesday .
“ Placer County has been conducting intensive contact tracing to identify and contact healthcare workers and community members who were exposed to this individual within the Placer County community , ” Sisson said .
So far , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the person had minimal contact in the community since returning from the cruise .
Ten healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center and five emergency responders who came in contact with the individual are being quarantined , Sisson said .
California ’ s first virus death came amid more sobering news about the spread of the virus in the United States , including 10 deaths in Washington state , a new quarantine in the suburbs of New York City and a warning that more cases are on the horizon .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in California have the virus , with new cases reported in Berkeley and Santa Clara County .
In Orange County , two cases are pending confirmation from the CDC .
The cases involve a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s who had both recently traveled to countries with widespread transmission , according to the Orange County Health Care Agency .
The $ 8-billion deal struck Wednesday in Washington includes funding for the Department of Health and Human Services , which houses the CDC and the National Institutes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help develop a vaccine for protective and medical equipment , as well as aid to state and local governments dealing with the virus .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he is “ optimistic ” lawmakers can approve legislation this week and send it to President Trump , who is expected to sign it .
Times staff writers Noah Bierman , Rong-Gong Lin II , Hannah Fry , Phil Willon , Melody Gutierrez and Richard Winton contributed to this report .

Soumya Karlamangla, Colleen Shalby, Melody Gutierrez, Taryn Luna

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a coronavirus state of emergency Wednesday, hours after California announced its first death, involving a person who got sick on a cruise ship possibly more than half-filled with passengers from the state.
Local health officials were trying to assess whether others who took the cruise became ill from a virus that has been reported in 12 counties in the state and has sickened more than 50 people.
The declaration underscored the growing seriousness of the virus as it spreads in the United States, claiming 11 lives and sending financial markets spinning. More communities across California declared a state of emergency, and in Washington, House lawmakers struck a deal to allocate about $8 billion to help the federal government fight the virus.
The death announced Wednesday involved a 71-year-old man from Rocklin, in Northern California’s Placer County, who had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise to Mexico. The man first developed symptoms while on a Princess Cruises voyage from San Francisco to Mexico that returned Feb. 21, said Dr. Aimee Sisson, Placer County’s public health officer.
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He continued to show symptoms while traveling through the Port of San Francisco, then called 911 and was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Roseville on Feb. 27. He was tested for COVID-19 on Sunday, and the results returned positive Tuesday. The patient died the next morning, Sisson said.
It’s possible that other cruise passengers may have been exposed, officials said. Placer County Public Health is working closely with Sacramento County Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify and contact other cruise passengers.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” Sisson said. “While we have expected more cases, this death is an unfortunate milestone in our efforts to fight this disease, and one that we never wanted to see.”
Princess Cruises said it was notified by the CDC that it is investigating a small cluster of cases in Northern California among guests who sailed aboard the Grand Princess to Mexico.
The company said that 62 guests on that voyage remain onboard for a current trip to Hawaii. In an abundance of caution, these guests and other possible close crew contacts have been asked to remain in their staterooms until screened by the ship’s medical team.
Newsom on Wednesday announced a new case in Sonoma County, where an individual who traveled on the same Grand Princess cruise ship as the Placer County victim contracted the virus and is in “very difficult condition.”
The governor added that the Grand Princess was expected to return from Hawaii to San Francisco on Wednesday after cutting the cruise short, canceling its stop in Baja California. The state held the ship off the coast because several passengers and crew members have exhibited coronavirus symptoms.
By one estimate, more than 50% of the roughly 2,500 passengers who returned on the Grand Princess on Feb. 21 were Californians, Newsom said. The state will contact every county health official with passengers in their area by Wednesday night, he said.
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Newsom is asking the Legislature to make $20 million available for the state to respond to the coronavirus and announced the California Department of Public Health is dipping into its reserves of millions of N95 masks to distribute to healthcare workers on the front lines.
Los Angeles County declared its own health emergency Wednesday as its number of coronavirus cases increased to seven, including six new patients.
None of the new cases are believed to be “community spread,”officials said. All individuals were exposed to the virus through close contacts with others who were infected.
The additional cases were confirmed Tuesday night. Officials said three of the new cases were travelers who had visited northern Italy, two were family members who had close contact with a person outside the county who was infected, and one had a job that put them in contact with travelers.
One patient has been hospitalized, and the others are isolated at home.
“I want to reiterate this is not a response rooted in panic,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a news briefing. “We need every tool at our disposal.”
The cities of Pasadena and Long Beach are also declaring public health emergencies related to the novel coronavirus. There are currently no confirmed cases in either city.
Los Angeles County will increase its capacity for testing of the virus at its public health laboratory. Officials will begin daily radio briefings for the public, post new guidelines for schools and colleges, and over the next week will send “technical assistance teams” to make site visits to temporary housing facilities including homeless shelters.
Officials urged people to frequently wash their hands, opt for verbal salutations in place of hugs and handshakes and try to maintain a distance of six feet from strangers.
“We have to be prepared. We have to protect the well-being of our loved ones and our neighbors,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
A screener of incoming flights from China and surrounding countries at Los Angeles International Airport is among the new cases that have tested positive for coronavirus in L.A. County, according to two sources familiar with the report.
The screener, who is attached to the CDC, last worked Feb. 21 at LAX and, after developing potential symptoms, alerted medical professionals and authorities. The person was formally identified Tuesday as having the COVID-19 virus and so far has a mild case and is isolated at home.
In Placer, the death of the cruise ship passenger was the county’s second confirmed case of COVID-19, reported Tuesday night, and it raised local concerns of further contagion. Health officials tried to address those concerns Wednesday.
“Placer County has been conducting intensive contact tracing to identify and contact healthcare workers and community members who were exposed to this individual within the Placer County community,” Sisson said.
So far, Sisson said, health officers have determined that the person had minimal contact in the community since returning from the cruise. Ten healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center and five emergency responders who came in contact with the individual are being quarantined, Sisson said.
California’s first virus death came amid more sobering news about the spread of the virus in the United States, including 10 deaths in Washington state, a new quarantine in the suburbs of New York City and a warning that more cases are on the horizon.
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 50 people in California have the virus, with new cases reported in Berkeley and Santa Clara County. In Orange County, two cases are pending confirmation from the CDC. The cases involve a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s who had both recently traveled to countries with widespread transmission, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
The $8-billion deal struck Wednesday in Washington includes funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the CDC and the National Institutes of Health. It also includes money to help develop a vaccine for protective and medical equipment, as well as aid to state and local governments dealing with the virus.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he is “optimistic” lawmakers can approve legislation this week and send it to President Trump, who is expected to sign it.
Times staff writers Noah Bierman, Rong-Gong Lin II , Hannah Fry, Phil Willon, Melody Gutierrez and Richard Winton contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-05--Deserted oil wells haunt Los Angeles with toxic fumes and enormous cleanup costs

Thick oil was once so abundant beneath Southern California that it bubbled to the surface , most famously at the La Brea Tar Pits .
But after more than a century of aggressive drilling by fossil fuel companies , most of Los Angeles ’ profitable oil is gone .
What remains is a costly legacy : nearly 1,000 wells across the city , in rich and poor neighborhoods , deserted by their owners and left to the state to clean , according to a first-of-its-kind analysis of state records by the Los Angeles Times and the Center for Public Integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a concentration of old drilling sites , with tens of thousands of residents living nearby , from Ladera Heights to Echo Park .
If not plugged and cleaned up , many of these orphaned wells will continue to expose people to toxic gases , complicate redevelopment and pose rare but serious threats of explosions .
If the state were to tackle the cleanup , it would cost tens of millions of dollars .
Yet despite regulatory powers that in some ways are stronger than the state ’ s , Los Angeles has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry to take responsibility for its leaky legacy , according to the Times/Public Integrity investigation .
Part of the problem is staffing .
Until recently , the city Fire Department was operating with one full-time well inspector , resulting in sporadic enforcement .
The department issued notices of violations for extended inactivity to two companies in 2009 , then three in 2016 , according to the results of a public records request .
Then , in 2018 , the department inspected wells all across the city , handing out notices to more companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Hayden , whose responsibilities include the Los Angeles Fire Department ’ s oil and gas program , acknowledged that the city hadn ’ t provided adequate oversight of the industry .
But with a second full-time inspector added this year and other employees trained to conduct additional inspections , he said , the department will work to ensure that operators “ adequately manage their idle wells.
” Even as it adds personnel , Los Angeles has been hesitant to use its full regulatory authority , which allows the city to mandate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restarted or shuttered after it sits unused for a year .
Tidelands Oil Production Co. is one firm that has skirted such cleanups .
A subsidiary of the drilling company California Resources Corp. , Tidelands operates wells in Wilmington , some of which have been idle since the 1990s .
Although the city issued violation notices in 2018 , Tidelands neither restarted production nor plugged and cleaned the wells .
Asked why , a CRC spokeswoman said by email that the company had provided officials with information about the status of its wells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City is evaluating that information.
” Hayden said Los Angeles lacks an appeals process for companies cited for violations and has chosen to defer to less-stringent state regulations .
Many neighbors of the old drilling sites are frustrated and angered by what they see as official indifference toward orphaned wells .
“ What ’ s going to happen to them ?
” asked Danny Luna , who lives in Echo Park , where hundreds of wells sit orphaned , many for more than a century .
“ Nobody ’ s taking responsibility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left with leaky faucets underground ?
” In addition , Los Angeles has failed to consistently employ a full-time petroleum administrator as city code requires .
For decades , the position was unoccupied or filled by part-time employees .
In 2016 , Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Uduak-Joe Ntuk , who helped initiate the spurt of oil and gas inspections .
Ntuk departed in late 2019 to run the state agency that regulates oil production , the California Geologic Energy Management Division , or CalGEM .
The city has yet to hire a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrator .
“ It ’ s really about incompetence , playing games with politics , ” said Michael Salman , a UCLA professor who watchdogs oil and gas issues .
“ It ’ s about shortsightedness.
” As community groups press the city to force closure of old wells , they often are countered by labor groups and the industry , which repeatedly have challenged Los Angeles ’ authority to go further than CalGEM .
The city ’ s handling of oil wells operated by AllenCo Energy Inc. , a company that services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one major point of contention .
For years , residents near USC complained about toxic fumes wafting from the 21 wells the company operates on land leased from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles , abutting a special education high school , a day-care center , an affordable housing apartment building and Mount St. Mary ’ s University .
The wells have sat idle and unplugged since November 2013 , two months before the city filed a civil enforcement action against AllenCo for health , fire and safety violations .
Local regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wells to shut down , but they ’ ve yet to use that power with AllenCo .
Against the wishes of some community members , the city settled with the company in 2016 , giving AllenCo a tenuous path back to production .
In 2018 , Councilman Gil Cedillo proposed using a rarely exercised part of the Municipal Code to cancel “ oil drilling districts ” that are no longer active .
The AllenCo site was a potential target , but that idea was shelved amid opposition from labor and oil industry groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies to further investigate AllenCo died in March 2019 , the same month the city partially addressed the site by letting a lease expire on at least three of the site ’ s 21 wells .
In September , government inspectors found the site was once again leaking , sending hazardous emissions into the neighborhood for two weeks .
A Times/Public Integrity analysis found that about 800 people live within 600 feet of AllenCo ’ s drill site , the distance identified by the petroleum administrator in a recent report as the minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollutants .
About 80 % of residents there are Latino .
More than half the neighborhood earns an annual household income under $ 30,000 .
Victoria Mercel is one of those who have endured the fumes .
A Mexican immigrant , she moved her family into the apartment building across the street from AllenCo ’ s drill site in 2004 after sleeping on the sidewalk to get an application for affordable housing .
Even needing to fit seven people in the apartment , Mercel was ecstatic to have her family finally settled , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , didn ’ t last too long , ” she said in Spanish during a September interview .
Mercel said her son was stricken with nosebleeds and her husband with headaches , while she experienced nausea potentially caused by the leaking gas .
Community activists continue to question whether the 2016 settlement with AllenCo was really all the city could do .
City Atty .
Mike Feuer argues that the conditions of the settlement , including a $ 1.25-million fine , represented a win for Los Angeles because the city didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shut down the drill site .
Feuer said that in recent years , city agencies are “ finally coming to grips seriously with the incompatibility ” of drill sites and an urban environment .
“ The city hasn ’ t done nearly enough about this issue historically , ” he said .
AllenCo , which did not respond to requests for comment , has not committed to a timeline for decommissioning the site , and a Nov. 8 inspection by the Fire Department found that violations had not been corrected .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s referral for further legal action against AllenCo .
“ Where are the leaders that are supposed to be advocating for a better quality of life for all ?
” she said .
“ I would also ask myself , ‘ What is a factory doing in the middle of a neighborhood ?
’ ” Statewide , 2,425 oil and gas wells are deserted and unplugged , a Times/Public Integrity analysis found .
More than half of these sites sit in Los Angeles County , mostly between Dodger Stadium and Koreatown .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight years — many for more than a century .
Until wells are properly cleaned and plugged , they pose a threat to communities and the environment .
Idled and deserted wells can waft fumes into homes , emit climate-warming methane , leak salty water into aquifers and drip oil .
Many of these wells were deserted decades ago , during the early chapters of Southern California ’ s oil history .
Historically , “ if a well dried or it didn ’ t produce anything , they ’ d throw a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson , a Santa Barbara Democrat who has sponsored legislation addressing oil and gas cleanup .
“ And to this day , we ’ ve been experiencing the kind of seepage that ’ s occurred because they haven ’ t been properly capped.
” Old wells also pose a risk of blowouts — and , in extreme cases , explosions .
In January 2019 , a 1930s-vintage oil well erupted in Marina del Rey , where a hotel was under construction .
No one was injured , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gas , drilling mud and other debris blasted into the sky .
In 1985 , something ignited methane rising from a heavily drilled area near the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum .
The explosion blew up part of a Ross Dress for Less store , injuring 23 people .
Researchers never fully settled the debate about whether the explosion was caused by naturally migrating gas or old wells .
Still , the blast reflects the dangers of a city underlain by about 5,200 historical oil and gas wells and miles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ one of the most petroleum-dense basins on the planet , ” said Seth Shonkoff , executive director of the research group PSE Healthy Energy , adding that old wells can act as conduits for gas .
“ Migration of methane and other hydrocarbons creates explosion hazards , which oftentimes need to be mitigated in the basements of houses and buildings.
” Of the 2,425 deserted wells statewide , some were left derelict before California started regulating the industry .
In other cases , companies walked away from their obligation to pay fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CalGEM , 800 oil companies have dissolved over the years without scheduling wells for cleanup or paying state fees .
“ The issue of operators either going defunct without informing [ the state ] or simply ignoring orders is a long-standing issue , ” CalGEM spokesman Don Drysdale said in an email .
The agency would like to do “ a full-blown audit , ” he added , but does not have the resources .
To prevent neighbors from getting stuck with leaky wells , Los Angeles requires that drillers post bonds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that funds are available for future cleanups .
Industry officials contend these bonds , in addition to fees paid on production , ensure there will be funds available for future cleanups , but independent analysts have questioned that contention .
A 2018 city controller ’ s report found that Los Angeles ’ existing bond requirements hadn ’ t been updated since the 1940s and “ appear to be inadequate and should be revisited.
” In a January report , the California Council on Science and Technology warned that , aside from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70,000 idle and active wells held by financially vulnerable businesses were in danger of becoming orphaned .
Decommissioning wells can be an expensive proposition , especially in dense urban areas where costs can easily top $ 100,000 apiece .
Such work involves plugging and capping the shaft to avoid future leaks and removing any surface infrastructure .
In 2016 , CalGEM was forced to plug two wells on Firmin Street in Echo Park after persistent complaints from residents of leaking gas .
The pair , a legacy of the 1,100 wells once part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cost the state $ 1.2 million to seal .
Plugging work itself can cause problems , including spills .
Such was the case recently at Echo Park ’ s Toluca Street , where developer Aragon Properties Ltd. is building dozens of apartments .
As part of its development agreement with the city , Aragon took on cleanup responsibilities for several deserted wells on its property .
On Dec. 18 , an oily fluid bubbled to the surface as a contractor worked on the wells .
It seeped through the wall of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stained parked cars .
In all , about 10 barrels of fluid emerged before the spill was contained .
Area residents Rosalinda Morales and Luna contacted state officials hours after the oil started surfacing .
Aragon , which had a duty to report the incident , never did , according to a notice of violation CalGEM issued in January .
Aragon did not respond to requests for comment .
For Luna and Morales , who grew up with the smell of petroleum and sulfur in the air , the Aragon spill was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cavalier city approval of new development amid deserted oil wells .
Developers can ’ t take a “ business as usual ” approach on a property full of old wells , Morales said .
She and Luna have made presentations to city and state officials , asking them to stop greenlighting construction projects in the area until the wells can be cleaned up .
But with Los Angeles facing a housing crisis — and the state lacking funds to quickly clean up old wells — city officials have yet to heed their plea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies are responsible for the vast majority of orphaned wells .
Many don ’ t set aside adequate funds for remediation , according to the Times/Public Integrity investigation .
An example is Ample Resources Inc. , which despite its name has effectively walked away from three of its 14 wells scattered about 15 miles northwest of Los Angeles amid the scenic hills just south of Lake Piru — some of them on a ranch where thoroughbred horses graze .
According to the analysis , several of the company ’ s wells have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legally orphaned .
According to state records , Ample Resources ignored per-barrel fees assessed on its oil and gas production and disregarded an order from the state in March 2019 to plug some of its wells .
If CalGEM needs to step in and decommission the wells itself , all it will have from the company is $ 20,000 in cleanup funds , much less than state law requires from a small owner .
Reached several times by phone , Faith Pai , Ample Resources ’ chief operating officer , said the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t answer questions about the violations , eventually asking for questions in writing .
She also didn ’ t answer those .
A visit to the ranch found oil and gas tanks rusting off a dirt road in the forest .
Some parts had been stripped , and there was no sign of workers .
Oil sat in several uncovered buckets , bubbling .
This story was a partnership between the Los Angeles Times and the Center for Public Integrity , a nonprofit news organization in Washington .
It was reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Integrity and Ryan Menezes of The Times .

Near downtown Los Angeles, a developer is building dozens of apartments in Echo Park on property that contains deserted oil wells, some of them uncapped.
Thick oil was once so abundant beneath Southern California that it bubbled to the surface, most famously at the La Brea Tar Pits.
But after more than a century of aggressive drilling by fossil fuel companies, most of Los Angeles’ profitable oil is gone. What remains is a costly legacy: nearly 1,000 wells across the city, in rich and poor neighborhoods, deserted by their owners and left to the state to clean, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis of state records by the Los Angeles Times and the Center for Public Integrity.
Few U.S. cities are punctured with such a concentration of old drilling sites, with tens of thousands of residents living nearby, from Ladera Heights to Echo Park. If not plugged and cleaned up, many of these orphaned wells will continue to expose people to toxic gases, complicate redevelopment and pose rare but serious threats of explosions. If the state were to tackle the cleanup, it would cost tens of millions of dollars.
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Yet despite regulatory powers that in some ways are stronger than the state’s, Los Angeles has been slow and inconsistent in forcing the industry to take responsibility for its leaky legacy, according to the Times/Public Integrity investigation.
Part of the problem is staffing.
Until recently, the city Fire Department was operating with one full-time well inspector, resulting in sporadic enforcement.
The department issued notices of violations for extended inactivity to two companies in 2009, then three in 2016, according to the results of a public records request. Then, in 2018, the department inspected wells all across the city, handing out notices to more companies covering dozens of wells.
Battalion Chief James Hayden, whose responsibilities include the Los Angeles Fire Department’s oil and gas program, acknowledged that the city hadn’t provided adequate oversight of the industry. But with a second full-time inspector added this year and other employees trained to conduct additional inspections, he said, the department will work to ensure that operators “adequately manage their idle wells.”
Even as it adds personnel, Los Angeles has been hesitant to use its full regulatory authority, which allows the city to mandate that an oil or gas well either be restarted or shuttered after it sits unused for a year.
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Tidelands Oil Production Co. is one firm that has skirted such cleanups.
A subsidiary of the drilling company California Resources Corp., Tidelands operates wells in Wilmington, some of which have been idle since the 1990s. Although the city issued violation notices in 2018, Tidelands neither restarted production nor plugged and cleaned the wells.
Asked why, a CRC spokeswoman said by email that the company had provided officials with information about the status of its wells, “and we understand that the City is evaluating that information.”
Hayden said Los Angeles lacks an appeals process for companies cited for violations and has chosen to defer to less-stringent state regulations.
Many neighbors of the old drilling sites are frustrated and angered by what they see as official indifference toward orphaned wells.
Rosalinda Morales and Danny Luna stand in front of an oil derrick at one of two Echo Park-area apartment construction sites that contain abandoned, uncapped and capped oil wells. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“What’s going to happen to them?” asked Danny Luna, who lives in Echo Park, where hundreds of wells sit orphaned, many for more than a century. “Nobody’s taking responsibility for them…. Are we going to be left with leaky faucets underground?”
In addition, Los Angeles has failed to consistently employ a full-time petroleum administrator as city code requires. For decades, the position was unoccupied or filled by part-time employees. In 2016, Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Uduak-Joe Ntuk, who helped initiate the spurt of oil and gas inspections.
Ntuk departed in late 2019 to run the state agency that regulates oil production, the California Geologic Energy Management Division, or CalGEM. The city has yet to hire a new petroleum regulator, relying on an interim administrator.
“It’s really about incompetence, playing games with politics,” said Michael Salman, a UCLA professor who watchdogs oil and gas issues. “It’s about shortsightedness.”
The AllenCo Energy Inc. drill site in South Los Angeles has sat idle since November 2013. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
‘Where are the leaders?’
As community groups press the city to force closure of old wells, they often are countered by labor groups and the industry, which repeatedly have challenged Los Angeles’ authority to go further than CalGEM.
The city’s handling of oil wells operated by AllenCo Energy Inc., a company that services the oil and gas industry, is one major point of contention.
For years, residents near USC complained about toxic fumes wafting from the 21 wells the company operates on land leased from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, abutting a special education high school, a day-care center, an affordable housing apartment building and Mount St. Mary’s University.
The wells have sat idle and unplugged since November 2013, two months before the city filed a civil enforcement action against AllenCo for health, fire and safety violations. Against the wishes of some community members, the city settled with the company in 2016, giving AllenCo a tenuous path back to production.
In 2018, Councilman Gil Cedillo proposed using a rarely exercised part of the Municipal Code to cancel “oil drilling districts” that are no longer active. The AllenCo site was a potential target, but that idea was shelved amid opposition from labor and oil industry groups.
A City Council motion to direct agencies to further investigate AllenCo died in March 2019, the same month the city partially addressed the site by letting a lease expire on at least three of the site’s 21 wells. In September, government inspectors found the site was once again leaking, sending hazardous emissions into the neighborhood for two weeks.
A Times/Public Integrity analysis found that about 800 people live within 600 feet of AllenCo’s drill site, the distance identified by the petroleum administrator in a recent report as the minimum needed to limit significant exposure to air pollutants. About 80% of residents there are Latino. More than half the neighborhood earns an annual household income under $30,000.
Victoria Mercel sits for a portrait at her home near the site of an AllenCo well. She and her family have suffered nosebleeds, headaches and nausea. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Victoria Mercel is one of those who have endured the fumes. A Mexican immigrant, she moved her family into the apartment building across the street from AllenCo’s drill site in 2004 after sleeping on the sidewalk to get an application for affordable housing.
Even needing to fit seven people in the apartment, Mercel was ecstatic to have her family finally settled, “but that happiness, that security, didn’t last too long,” she said in Spanish during a September interview. Mercel said her son was stricken with nosebleeds and her husband with headaches, while she experienced nausea potentially caused by the leaking gas.
Community activists have questioned whether the 2016 settlement with AllenCo was really all the city could do. City Atty. Mike Feuer argues that the conditions of the settlement, including a $1.25-million fine, represented a win for Los Angeles because the city didn’t have the legal footing at the time to shut down the drill site.
About 800 people live within 600 feet of the AllenCo drill site near USC. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Feuer said that, in recent years, city agencies are “finally coming to grips seriously with the incompatibility” of drill sites and an urban environment. “The city hasn’t done nearly enough about this issue historically,” he said.
A Nov. 8 inspection by the Fire Department found that violations at the AllenCo site had not been corrected. The company, which did not respond to requests for comment, said in a letter to state regulators last month that it had “spent tremendous amounts of capital trying to be compliant” and contended that the state intentionally made it too hard to restart operations. The city attorney was reviewing the department’s referral for further legal action against AllenCo.
The impasse frustrated Mercel.
“Where are the leaders that are supposed to be advocating for a better quality of life for all?” she said. “I would also ask myself, ‘What is a factory doing in the middle of a neighborhood?’”
On Thursday, after a version of this story was posted online, CalGEM stepped in. The agency ordered AllenCo to plug the wells, saying that the multiple leaks pose a safety hazard and that there was “conclusive and credible evidence of desertion.”
Signing the order: Ntuk, the city’s former petroleum administrator.
A man jogs past a gate to the AllenCo drill site in 2013. The city’s 2016 settlement with the firm was opposed by some community members. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
An explosive, costly legacy
Statewide, 2,425 oil and gas wells are deserted and unplugged, a Times/Public Integrity analysis found. More than half of these sites sit in Los Angeles County, mostly between Dodger Stadium and Koreatown. They haven’t produced in at least eight years — many for more than a century.
Until wells are properly cleaned and plugged, they pose a threat to communities and the environment. Idled and deserted wells can waft fumes into homes, emit climate-warming methane, leak salty water into aquifers and drip oil.
Many of these wells were deserted decades ago, during the early chapters of Southern California’s oil history.
Historically, “if a well dried or it didn’t produce anything, they’d throw a few logs down it and walk away,” said state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, a Santa Barbara Democrat who has sponsored legislation addressing oil and gas cleanup. “And to this day, we’ve been experiencing the kind of seepage that’s occurred because they haven’t been properly capped.”
Old wells also pose a risk of blowouts — and, in extreme cases, explosions.
In January 2019, a 1930s-vintage oil well erupted in Marina del Rey, where a hotel was under construction. No one was injured, but residents and pedestrians captured video of oil, gas, drilling mud and other debris blasted into the sky.
In 1985, something ignited methane rising from a heavily drilled area near the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. The explosion blew up part of a Ross Dress for Less store, injuring 23 people. Researchers never fully settled the debate about whether the explosion was caused by naturally migrating gas or old wells. Still, the blast reflects the dangers of a city underlain by about 5,200 historical oil and gas wells and miles of associated pipelines.
Firefighters survey the aftermath of a 1985 methane explosion in Los Angeles’ Fairfax district. (Mike Meadows / Los Angeles Times)
The 1985 explosion blew up part of a Ross Dress for Less store, injuring 23 people. (Con Keyes / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles sits atop “one of the most petroleum-dense basins on the planet,” said Seth Shonkoff, executive director of the research group PSE Healthy Energy, adding that old wells can act as conduits for gas. “Migration of methane and other hydrocarbons creates explosion hazards, which oftentimes need to be mitigated in the basements of houses and buildings.”
Of the 2,425 deserted wells statewide, some were left derelict before California started regulating the industry. In other cases, companies walked away from their obligation to pay fees or cover cleanup costs.
According to CalGEM, 800 oil companies have dissolved over the years without scheduling wells for cleanup or paying state fees.
“The issue of operators either going defunct without informing [the state] or simply ignoring orders is a long-standing issue,” CalGEM spokesman Don Drysdale said in an email. The agency would like to do “a full-blown audit,” he added, but does not have the resources.
To prevent neighbors from getting stuck with leaky wells, Los Angeles requires that drillers post bonds, which act like a security deposit to ensure that funds are available for future cleanups. Industry officials contend these bonds, in addition to fees paid on production, ensure there will be funds available for future cleanups, but independent analysts have questioned that contention.
Pump jacks operate at oil wells near homes in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
A 2018 city controller’s report found that Los Angeles’ existing bond requirements hadn’t been updated since the 1940s and “appear to be inadequate and should be revisited.”
In a January report, the California Council on Science and Technology warned that, aside from the deserted wells statewide, an additional roughly 70,000 idle and active wells held by financially vulnerable businesses were in danger of becoming orphaned.
Decommissioning wells can be an expensive proposition, especially in dense urban areas where costs can easily top $100,000 apiece. Such work involves plugging and capping the shaft to avoid future leaks and removing any surface infrastructure.
In 2016, CalGEM was forced to plug two wells on Firmin Street in Echo Park after persistent complaints from residents of leaking gas. The pair, a legacy of the 1,100 wells once part of the Los Angeles City Oil Field, cost the state $1.2 million to seal.
Plugging work itself can cause problems, including spills.
Such was the case recently at Echo Park’s Toluca Street, where developer Aragon Properties Ltd. is building dozens of apartments. As part of its development agreement with the city, Aragon took on cleanup responsibilities for several deserted wells on its property.
On Dec. 18, an oily fluid bubbled to the surface as a contractor worked on the wells. It seeped through the wall of a nearby apartment, flowed into storm drains and stained parked cars. In all, about 10 barrels of fluid emerged before the spill was contained.
Area residents Rosalinda Morales and Luna contacted state officials hours after the oil started surfacing. Aragon, which had a duty to report the incident, never did, according to a notice of violation CalGEM issued in January. Aragon did not respond to requests for comment.
For Luna and Morales, who grew up with the smell of petroleum and sulfur in the air, the Aragon spill was the inevitable result of what they call cavalier city approval of new development amid deserted oil wells.
Developers can’t take a “business as usual” approach on a property full of old wells, Morales said.
She and Luna have made presentations to city and state officials, asking them to stop greenlighting construction projects in the area until the wells can be cleaned up.
But with Los Angeles facing a housing crisis — and the state lacking funds to quickly clean up old wells — city officials have yet to heed their plea.
In Southern California, small drilling companies are responsible for the vast majority of orphaned wells. Many don’t set aside adequate funds for remediation, according to the Times/Public Integrity investigation.
An example is Ample Resources Inc., which despite its name has effectively walked away from three of its 14 wells scattered about 15 miles northwest of Los Angeles amid the scenic hills just south of Lake Piru — some of them on a ranch where thoroughbred horses graze. According to the analysis, several of the company’s wells have been idled so long that they are now legally orphaned.
According to state records, Ample Resources ignored per-barrel fees assessed on its oil and gas production and disregarded an order from the state in March 2019 to plug some of its wells. If CalGEM needs to step in and decommission the wells itself, all it will have from the company is $20,000 in cleanup funds, much less than state law requires from a small owner.
Reached several times by phone, Faith Pai, Ample Resources’ chief operating officer, said the company was meeting with CalGEM. But she didn’t answer questions about the violations, eventually asking for questions in writing. She also didn’t answer those.
A visit to the ranch found oil and gas tanks rusting off a dirt road in the forest. Some parts had been stripped, and there was no sign of workers. Oil sat in several uncovered buckets, bubbling.
About this story
This story was a partnership between the Los Angeles Times and the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit news organization in Washington. It was reported and written by Mark Olalde of Public Integrity and Ryan Menezes of The Times. The Times’ Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-05--Column: Has gender bias helped Bernie Sanders outperform Elizabeth Warren with voters? Seems like it

Jennifer Siebel Newsom , the wife of Gov .
Gavin Newsom , tells a family story to illustrate how political gender bias begins in infancy .
I phoned the first partner because she had endorsed Elizabeth Warren four days before Super Tuesday .
And I was wondering whether the Massachusetts senator had been the victim of gender bias in her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination .
After all , Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are both liberals and had been espousing basically the same leftist policy agendas : universal government-run healthcare , tuition-free public universities , taxing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television debates — Warren in a “ high-pitched scold ” and Sanders in a low , “ grouchy bellow.
” She wasn ’ t attracting many votes .
But he was cleaning up .
Was Warren paying a price for being a woman ?
Jennifer Newsom thought so and wrote an op-ed piece for the San Francisco Chronicle criticizing male pundits who , she said , were encouraging Warren and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to quit the race and “ make way for a male.
” “ This is a man ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary filmmaker wrote with a strong dose of sarcasm .
“ Until we change it.
” Klobuchar did step aside and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden before Newsom ’ s piece reached print .
When Newsom returned my call , she was critical of “ the media ” — everything from newspapers to TV and social media — for their treatment of female presidential candidates .
“ Women presidential candidates are either ignored completely or they ’ re demeaned , ” she contended .
I dispute that , but wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s more questioning of their viability and less issues-based coverage , ” she continued .
Yes , she ’ s right on that .
There ’ s more “ horse race ” coverage of all candidates — male and female — than focus on policy positions , and that ’ s unfortunate .
Warren had lots of detailed plans for policy implementation , Newsom asserted , but the media “ eviscerated her plans and didn ’ t even ask the same of the men.
” At the same time , she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re ‘ electable.
’ ” That ’ s because people are conditioned from birth to believe female presidential candidates can not be elected , she added .
“ I ’ ll let you in on a story , ” Newsom said , and then talked about her four children .
When the Newsoms ’ oldest child , daughter Montana , was born in 2009 , Gavin Newsom was San Francisco mayor and the infant “ received many comments on her looks and lots of pink presents — flowers , princess gear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom said .
Two years later , when Gavin Newsom was lieutenant governor , son Hunter was born .
“ Hunter received fewer comments on his appearance , ” Jennifer Newsom recalled , “ but he received lots of blue … and silver cups displaying the White House insignia .
He even received a letter from the president [ Obama ] … and the First Lady [ Michelle Obama ] … .
And if the messaging wasn ’ t clear enough , he also received a blue T-shirt that said , ‘ Future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter Brooklynn entered the world .
“ To this day , ” Newsom said , “ Brooklynn has yet to receive a ‘ Madame President ’ T-shirt or any political paraphernalia from someone in formal leadership suggesting that she , too , like her older brother could be president .
And the story continues when Dutch was born [ in 2016 ] .
He received multiple letters from political leaders and even a former president… .
“ The message is clear : From the earliest of ages , we condition our boys and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural born leaders .
And we do not do the same for women .
This has profound consequences for the way the media and our culture treat female candidates and ultimately contributes to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence.
” I called some other people — academics and political pros .
“ I don ’ t think the Democratic primary electorate is sexist , ” said Bob Shrum , a longtime Democratic strategist who is director of the Center for the Political Future at USC .
“ Women constitute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they did not rally to Warren and Klobuchar.
” But Shrum added : “ No question that in the general election there is a real element of bias and barriers for women.
” Shrum noted that four years ago Democrats nominated the nation ’ s first female standard-bearer , Hillary Clinton , who actually won more popular votes than Donald Trump .
But Trump was elected in the archaic electoral college .
Look , there must be some gender bias because no woman has ever been elected president .
And Californians have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , they also haven ’ t elected a male U.S. senator in 32 years .
Jane Junn , a political science and gender studies professor at USC , said the office at stake affects bias .
“ School board is no problem , ” she said .
“ But with the presidency , women might have a problem.
” Does she think Warren was hurt by her gender ?
“ Yes , I do.
” Bill Whalen , a research fellow at Stanford ’ s Hoover Institution and former speechwriter for Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe there was some sexism ” in the Warren-Sanders competition , “ but other things are worth pointing out .
Bernie has a cult following around the country and she does not .
“ Bernie also has something else she does not have : absolute purity .
He hasn ’ t moved on ‘ Medicare for all.
’ She has moved to a modified position .
Moreover , Bernie was doing this [ running for president ] long before she came to the dance.
” Sacramento State political science professor Kimberly Nalder , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics , pointed out that in parliamentary systems , women are chosen to lead a nation by their colleagues , who know them best .
In this country , a greater role is assigned to voters .
The latest lesson for U.S. candidates is that “ grouchy bellowing ” is tolerable , but “ high-pitched scolding ” is a turnoff .
That means there ’ s still some gender bias out there .
Someone needs to send Brooklynn Newsom a “ Madame President ” T-shirt .

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom, tells a family story to illustrate how political gender bias begins in infancy.
I phoned the first partner because she had endorsed Elizabeth Warren four days before Super Tuesday. And I was wondering whether the Massachusetts senator had been the victim of gender bias in her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination.
After all, Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are both liberals and had been espousing basically the same leftist policy agendas: universal government-run healthcare, tuition-free public universities, taxing the rich. Both had been ranting in television debates — Warren in a “high-pitched scold” and Sanders in a low, “grouchy bellow.” She wasn’t attracting many votes. But he was cleaning up.
Advertisement
Was Warren paying a price for being a woman?
Jennifer Newsom thought so and wrote an op-ed piece for the San Francisco Chronicle criticizing male pundits who, she said, were encouraging Warren and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to quit the race and “make way for a male.”
“This is a man’s world, after all,” the documentary filmmaker wrote with a strong dose of sarcasm. “Until we change it.”
Klobuchar did step aside and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden before Newsom’s piece reached print.
When Newsom returned my call, she was critical of “the media” — everything from newspapers to TV and social media — for their treatment of female presidential candidates.
“Women presidential candidates are either ignored completely or they’re demeaned,” she contended.
I dispute that, but wasn’t going to argue.
“There’s more questioning of their viability and less issues-based coverage,” she continued.
Yes, she’s right on that. There’s more “horse race” coverage of all candidates — male and female — than focus on policy positions, and that’s unfortunate.
Warren had lots of detailed plans for policy implementation, Newsom asserted, but the media “eviscerated her plans and didn’t even ask the same of the men.”
Advertisement
At the same time, she said, the media “focuses on men because they’re ‘electable.’” That’s because people are conditioned from birth to believe female presidential candidates cannot be elected, she added.
“I’ll let you in on a story,” Newsom said, and then talked about her four children.
When the Newsoms’ oldest child, daughter Montana, was born in 2009, Gavin Newsom was San Francisco mayor and the infant “received many comments on her looks and lots of pink presents — flowers, princess gear, you name it,” Jennifer Newsom said.
Two years later, when Gavin Newsom was lieutenant governor, son Hunter was born.
“Hunter received fewer comments on his appearance,” Jennifer Newsom recalled, “but he received lots of blue … and silver cups displaying the White House insignia. He even received a letter from the president [Obama] … and the First Lady [Michelle Obama]…. And if the messaging wasn’t clear enough, he also received a blue T-shirt that said, ‘Future President.’”
Two years later, daughter Brooklynn entered the world.
“To this day,” Newsom said, “Brooklynn has yet to receive a ‘Madame President’ T-shirt or any political paraphernalia from someone in formal leadership suggesting that she, too, like her older brother could be president. And the story continues when Dutch was born [in 2016]. He received multiple letters from political leaders and even a former president….
“The message is clear: From the earliest of ages, we condition our boys and men to see that they are our natural born leaders. And we do not do the same for women. This has profound consequences for the way the media and our culture treat female candidates and ultimately contributes to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence.”
I called some other people — academics and political pros.
“I don’t think the Democratic primary electorate is sexist,” said Bob Shrum, a longtime Democratic strategist who is director of the Center for the Political Future at USC. “Women constitute a pretty substantial majority of Democratic voters and they did not rally to Warren and Klobuchar.”
But Shrum added: “No question that in the general election there is a real element of bias and barriers for women.”
Shrum noted that four years ago Democrats nominated the nation’s first female standard-bearer, Hillary Clinton, who actually won more popular votes than Donald Trump. But Trump was elected in the archaic electoral college.
Look, there must be some gender bias because no woman has ever been elected president. And Californians have never elected a female governor. That said, they also haven’t elected a male U.S. senator in 32 years.
Jane Junn, a political science and gender studies professor at USC, said the office at stake affects bias.
“School board is no problem,” she said. “But with the presidency, women might have a problem.”
Does she think Warren was hurt by her gender? “Yes, I do.”
Bill Whalen, a research fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and former speechwriter for Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, said “maybe there was some sexism” in the Warren-Sanders competition, “but other things are worth pointing out. Bernie has a cult following around the country and she does not.
“Bernie also has something else she does not have: absolute purity. He hasn’t moved on ‘Medicare for all.’ She has moved to a modified position. Moreover, Bernie was doing this [running for president] long before she came to the dance.”
Sacramento State political science professor Kimberly Nalder, who teaches a course on women in politics, pointed out that in parliamentary systems, women are chosen to lead a nation by their colleagues, who know them best. In this country, a greater role is assigned to voters.
The latest lesson for U.S. candidates is that “grouchy bellowing” is tolerable, but “high-pitched scolding” is a turnoff. That means there’s still some gender bias out there.
Someone needs to send Brooklynn Newsom a “Madame President” T-shirt.


latimes--2020-03-04--Scientists seed local seas with imperiled fish. Can giant sea bass make a comeback?

A team of scuba-diving biologists on Wednesday released nearly 200 baby giant sea bass into the murky depths of Santa Monica Bay where the tiny , critically endangered fish could grow to be a quarter ton or more in size .
The captive-bred infants quickly adapted to their new home , a submarine canyon about 30 feet beneath the waves , where the currents are rich in nutrients and tiny shrimp , a favorite food for the bass .
The four-inch infants — adorned with orange , blue and gray colors — can reach 560 pounds , seven feet in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old .
They are also as imperiled as black rhinos .
Giant sea bass were among the most overfished species in the 1930s .
Today , fewer than 500 breeding adults cruise Central and Southern California ’ s coastal waters , according to a recent genetic study .
“ Total success !
” Michael Couffer , a biologist and underwater photographer involved in the reintroduction effort , said with a smile immediately after he rose to the surface .
“ They were behaving as though they had been raised in the wild instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Some were chasing each other around .
Others seemed to be getting ready to start looking for food.
” Among those expectantly observing the effort from the deck of a nearby boat was Crislyn McKerron , operations director of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium .
“ We ’ re incredibly proud , ” she said .
The unprecedented release of so many giant sea bass was the brainchild of Larry Allen , a professor of biology at Cal State University Northridge , who hopes they usher in a new generation of ancient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep blue waters hundreds of miles offshore .
Their very existence came by way of a biological surprise in Allen ’ s laboratory .
In May , an adult male and two adult female giant sea bass that were under study spawned an unintended bounty of thousands of eggs .
Larvae hatched from those eggs went on to become several hundred pampered babies in carefully monitored tanks at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro .
Roughly 200 of the brood were later shared with the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a daily cocktail of squid , sardines , mackerel and clams — followed by dessert : shrimp .
“ Shrimp is always served last because it ’ s like ice-cream to baby giant sea bass , ” said Andres Carrillo of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium .
“ They ’ re like little kids : If you offer giant seabass shrimp first , they won ’ t eat anything else.
” In collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife , Cal State Northridge and Cal State Long Beach , 180 baby giant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility were released roughly 100 yards from the beach on Wednesday .
Another 175 from the Long Beach aquarium are expected to be released next week .
Their parents , each weighing about 200 pounds , were tagged and then released into the ocean in October .
Aquarium officials asked that the exact locations not be made public to improve the fish ’ s odds of survival .
But with luck and stealth , the baby giants “ will grow quickly , ” said Nicole Leier , senior aquarist in charge of exhibits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was among a dozen staffers who assisted the effort Wednesday .
“ In 10 years , they ’ ll be up to about 100 pounds .
In 15 years , they ’ ll reach maturity.
” In 2016 , the Aquarium of the Pacific became the first public facility of its kind to spawn and raise a giant sea bass from larva to juvenile , providing a vital glimpse into the early life of the species .
In the 1930s , full-grown giant sea bass caught by deep-sea charters attracted large crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sea bass conservation grew in the 1990s , after hook-and-line fishery , divers armed with crossbows and commercial gill-netters had nearly wiped out them out .
The species is categorized as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation and Nature .
Scientists say they need more and better data to recover the species , individuals of which carry unique spot patterns that can be read like a barcode .
In recent years , scuba divers from UC Santa Barbara and the Aquarium of the Pacific have been photographing giant sea bass near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avalon .
The photos are archived in a Spotting Giant Sea Bass identification website that makes matches using pattern-recognition algorithms first developed by astrophysicists to spot patterns in star constellations .
Scientists say the bright colors of the juveniles blend in well with the undersea background , providing camouflage from predators large enough to consume them .
The color pattern will change as the fish age .
Climate change , however , remains a serious challenge to giant sea bass and all other marine species .
Marine heat waves have doubled in frequency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that global ocean temperatures in 2019 were the warmest on record .
“ There aren ’ t many juveniles of this endangered species in the sea anymore , ” Carrillo said , “ so they ’ re facing an ocean of trouble on the road to adulthood .
”

A team of scuba-diving biologists on Wednesday released nearly 200 baby giant sea bass into the murky depths of Santa Monica Bay where the tiny, critically endangered fish could grow to be a quarter ton or more in size.
The captive-bred infants quickly adapted to their new home, a submarine canyon about 30 feet beneath the waves, where the currents are rich in nutrients and tiny shrimp, a favorite food for the bass.
The four-inch infants — adorned with orange, blue and gray colors — can reach 560 pounds, seven feet in length and live to be 75 years old.
A team of scuba-diving biologists from the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium prepare to release nearly 200 baby giant sea bass in Santa Monica Bay. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
They are also as imperiled as black rhinos. Giant sea bass were among the most overfished species in the 1930s. Today, fewer than 500 breeding adults cruise Central and Southern California’s coastal waters, according to a recent genetic study.
Advertisement
“Total success!” Michael Couffer, a biologist and underwater photographer involved in the reintroduction effort, said with a smile immediately after he rose to the surface.
“They were behaving as though they had been raised in the wild instead of in captivity,” he said. “Some were chasing each other around. Others seemed to be getting ready to start looking for food.”
Among those expectantly observing the effort from the deck of a nearby boat was Crislyn McKerron, operations director of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. “We’re incredibly proud,” she said.
A child interacts with an endangered adult giant sea bass in the Blue Cavern in the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
The unprecedented release of so many giant sea bass was the brainchild of Larry Allen, a professor of biology at Cal State University Northridge, who hopes they usher in a new generation of ancient mariners drifting between coastal kelp forests and deep blue waters hundreds of miles offshore.
Their very existence came by way of a biological surprise in Allen’s laboratory.
Advertisement
In May, an adult male and two adult female giant sea bass that were under study spawned an unintended bounty of thousands of eggs. Larvae hatched from those eggs went on to become several hundred pampered babies in carefully monitored tanks at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro.
California Giant sea bass are mysterious to scientists. Understanding them could help the species survive As the sun rose over this harbor town, four scuba divers with cameras and notepads finned toward canopies of undulating kelp.
Roughly 200 of the brood were later shared with the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
In captivity, they feasted on a daily cocktail of squid, sardines, mackerel and clams — followed by dessert: shrimp.
“Shrimp is always served last because it’s like ice-cream to baby giant sea bass,” said Andres Carrillo of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. “They’re like little kids: If you offer giant seabass shrimp first, they won’t eat anything else.”
Biologists prepare to release the baby giant sea bass into their new home. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
In collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Long Beach, 180 baby giant sea bass reared at the San Pedro facility were released roughly 100 yards from the beach on Wednesday. Another 175 from the Long Beach aquarium are expected to be released next week.
Their parents, each weighing about 200 pounds, were tagged and then released into the ocean in October.
Aquarium officials asked that the exact locations not be made public to improve the fish’s odds of survival.
But with luck and stealth, the baby giants “will grow quickly,” said Nicole Leier, senior aquarist in charge of exhibits at the Aquarium of the Pacific, who was among a dozen staffers who assisted the effort Wednesday. “In 10 years, they’ll be up to about 100 pounds. In 15 years, they’ll reach maturity.”
In 2016, the Aquarium of the Pacific became the first public facility of its kind to spawn and raise a giant sea bass from larva to juvenile, providing a vital glimpse into the early life of the species.
About 100 baby endangered giant sea bass are fed while being raised at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
In the 1930s, full-grown giant sea bass caught by deep-sea charters attracted large crowds at local docks.
Advertisement
Calls for giant sea bass conservation grew in the 1990s, after hook-and-line fishery, divers armed with crossbows and commercial gill-netters had nearly wiped out them out.
The species is categorized as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation and Nature.
Scientists say they need more and better data to recover the species, individuals of which carry unique spot patterns that can be read like a barcode.
In recent years, scuba divers from UC Santa Barbara and the Aquarium of the Pacific have been photographing giant sea bass near Santa Catalina Island’s city of Avalon.
The photos are archived in a Spotting Giant Sea Bass identification website that makes matches using pattern-recognition algorithms first developed by astrophysicists to spot patterns in star constellations.
Advertisement
Scientists say the bright colors of the juveniles blend in well with the undersea background, providing camouflage from predators large enough to consume them.
The color pattern will change as the fish age.
Climate change, however, remains a serious challenge to giant sea bass and all other marine species. Marine heat waves have doubled in frequency since 1982, and recent reports showed that global ocean temperatures in 2019 were the warmest on record.
“There aren’t many juveniles of this endangered species in the sea anymore,” Carrillo said, “so they’re facing an ocean of trouble on the road to adulthood.”


latimes--2020-03-04--These underdogs may force their better-funded opponents into runoffs for L.A. City Council

They didn ’ t have the campaign cash or the big-name endorsements of their rivals .
Neither had been elected to public office .
But a pair of upstart candidates — nonprofit leader Nithya Raman and attorney Grace Yoo — could end up forcing their more established opponents into runoff elections in November , even as other political heavyweights were cruising to victory .
County election officials are still counting ballots .
But if the numbers hold , Raman will face off against Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu in a council district that stretches from Sherman Oaks to Silver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longtime county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas , an elected official for three decades , to represent a Crenshaw-to-Koreatown district .
In L.A. council races , if no candidate wins the majority of the vote , the top two finishers compete against each other in a November runoff .
Because L.A. ’ s municipal election now coincides with the presidential race , the campaign would be unlike any runoff seen before at City Hall , lasting eight months — more than three times longer than previous L.A. runoffs .
That could be an opportunity for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to knock on doors and connect with voters , said political consultant Dermot Givens , who was not involved in any of the council races .
“ That doesn ’ t cost money .
That just takes time — kissing babies , shaking hands , letting people know who you are , ” Givens said .
But runoff campaigns can also be more costly .
Because presidential elections have higher turnout , candidates are already having to spend more money to reach more voters , said political consultant Larry Levine .
That pool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November , he said .
“ Now they ’ ll be campaigning to a universe of voters that is three or four times larger ” — and for a longer period of time , Levine added .
Ryu , who was elected five years ago as a City Hall outsider , had a long list of advantages this time around : The councilman raised and spent more than $ 1 million in contributions , more than any other L.A. council candidate .
He was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unions and business groups .
Backers said he had followed through on his promises , including clamping down on campaign money from real estate developers and making spending in his office more transparent .
Cindy Chvatal , president of the Hancock Park Homeowners Assn.
, called him a “ remarkable ” councilman , saying he had worked to fix sidewalks , repair streets and respond promptly to calls from constituents .
“ If you look at his record , and you look at what he ’ s done , he ’ s served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Raman mobilized progressive activists who complained that Ryu had fallen short on housing and homelessness .
She brought grass-roots energy to a campaign that sought to bring in voters who were disconnected from local politics .
Her campaign also picked up buzz from celebrities such as Natalie Portman and Jane Fonda .
Raman ’ s strong showing represents “ a complete bucking of conventional politics and the way people think elections get done in Los Angeles , ” said Walker Foley , senior organizer with the environmental group Food & Water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed to phase out gas-fired power plants .
Raman , he said , built a “ powerful , at-the-door movement that spoke to voters and got people to the polls.
” Her platform included setting up a network of community centers to assist unhoused Angelenos and speeding L.A. ’ s transition to clean energy .
As of Wednesday evening , Raman was about 7 points behind Ryu .
In the race to succeed Councilman Herb Wesson in South Los Angeles , Yoo faces more of an uphill climb .
Election results posted Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margin .
Yoo campaigned as a fighter for regular citizens .
She turned the spotlight on her legal battles with city leaders over their plans to cut down trees in Hollywood , redraw council district boundaries and construct a 27-story residential tower in Hollywood .
Although she did not win the redistricting fight , the city agreed to preserve many of the shade trees and was ordered by a judge to repeal its approval of the tower .
On Wednesday , Yoo said she has begun conferring with lawyers about the county ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — including inaccurate ballots , long lines at polling places and malfunctioning equipment — to ensure that those mistakes are not repeated in the November runoff election .
“ The county ’ s inability to put on a seamless election is completely outrageous , ” she said .
“ I can ’ t believe Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas can ’ t get this right.
” Ridley-Thomas said voters are “ smart enough to know that implementing new procedures always requires improvement.
” The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has already launched a review of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new system , ” he said .
Ridley-Thomas ran on a platform of experience , highlighting his work in fighting homelessness , adding rail lines and reopening the problem-plagued Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook .
Voters in the district , he said last month , were in no mood to experiment .
The district ’ s “ voters got it right — 47 % MRT , 24 % Yoo , ” Ridley-Thomas said .
Tuesday was far from a bad night for political veterans and incumbents .
In an Eastside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former state Sen. Kevin de León appeared to be avoiding a runoff , according to results tallied as of Wednesday evening .
In the San Fernando Valley , Councilman John Lee had a solid lead over college educator Loraine Lundquist in a rematch to represent neighborhoods including Chatsworth , Porter Ranch and Granada Hills .
Three other incumbents — Paul Krekorian , Nury Martinez and Marqueece Harris-Dawson — sailed easily to reelection .

They didn’t have the campaign cash or the big-name endorsements of their rivals. Neither had been elected to public office.
But a pair of upstart candidates — nonprofit leader Nithya Raman and attorney Grace Yoo — could end up forcing their more established opponents into runoff elections in November, even as other political heavyweights were cruising to victory.
County election officials are still counting ballots. But if the numbers hold, Raman will face off against Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu in a council district that stretches from Sherman Oaks to Silver Lake. Yoo could go head-to-head with longtime county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, an elected official for three decades, to represent a Crenshaw-to-Koreatown district.
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In L.A. council races, if no candidate wins the majority of the vote, the top two finishers compete against each other in a November runoff. Because L.A.’s municipal election now coincides with the presidential race, the campaign would be unlike any runoff seen before at City Hall, lasting eight months — more than three times longer than previous L.A. runoffs.
That could be an opportunity for lesser-known candidates, giving them more time to knock on doors and connect with voters, said political consultant Dermot Givens, who was not involved in any of the council races.
“That doesn’t cost money. That just takes time — kissing babies, shaking hands, letting people know who you are,” Givens said.
Attorney Grace Yoo was looking to force county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas into a runoff in a City Council race in South Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
But runoff campaigns can also be more costly. Because presidential elections have higher turnout, candidates are already having to spend more money to reach more voters, said political consultant Larry Levine.
That pool of voters should grow even more in November, he said. “Now they’ll be campaigning to a universe of voters that is three or four times larger” — and for a longer period of time, Levine added.
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Ryu, who was elected five years ago as a City Hall outsider, had a long list of advantages this time around: The councilman raised and spent more than $1 million in contributions, more than any other L.A. council candidate. He was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and a host of Democratic politicians, labor unions and business groups.
Backers said he had followed through on his promises, including clamping down on campaign money from real estate developers and making spending in his office more transparent. Cindy Chvatal, president of the Hancock Park Homeowners Assn., called him a “remarkable” councilman, saying he had worked to fix sidewalks, repair streets and respond promptly to calls from constituents.
“If you look at his record, and you look at what he’s done, he’s served the district really well,” she said.
Raman mobilized progressive activists who complained that Ryu had fallen short on housing and homelessness. She brought grass-roots energy to a campaign that sought to bring in voters who were disconnected from local politics. Her campaign also picked up buzz from celebrities such as Natalie Portman and Jane Fonda.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas appears at a City Council candidate forum in January. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Raman’s strong showing represents “a complete bucking of conventional politics and the way people think elections get done in Los Angeles,” said Walker Foley, senior organizer with the environmental group Food & Water Action, which endorsed Raman and has pushed to phase out gas-fired power plants.
Raman, he said, built a “powerful, at-the-door movement that spoke to voters and got people to the polls.”
Her platform included setting up a network of community centers to assist unhoused Angelenos and speeding L.A.’s transition to clean energy. As of Wednesday evening, Raman was about 7 points behind Ryu.
In the race to succeed Councilman Herb Wesson in South Los Angeles, Yoo faces more of an uphill climb. Election results posted Wednesday showed her trailing Ridley-Thomas by a significant margin.
Yoo campaigned as a fighter for regular citizens. She turned the spotlight on her legal battles with city leaders over their plans to cut down trees in Hollywood, redraw council district boundaries and construct a 27-story residential tower in Hollywood. Although she did not win the redistricting fight, the city agreed to preserve many of the shade trees and was ordered by a judge to repeal its approval of the tower.
On Wednesday, Yoo said she has begun conferring with lawyers about the county’s mishandling of Tuesday’s election — including inaccurate ballots, long lines at polling places and malfunctioning equipment — to ensure that those mistakes are not repeated in the November runoff election.
“The county’s inability to put on a seamless election is completely outrageous,” she said. “I can’t believe Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas can’t get this right.”
David Ryu campaigns in 2014 in Sherman Oaks. He would be elected in 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Ridley-Thomas said voters are “smart enough to know that implementing new procedures always requires improvement.” The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has already launched a review of the “pros and cons of the new system,” he said.
Ridley-Thomas ran on a platform of experience, highlighting his work in fighting homelessness, adding rail lines and reopening the problem-plagued Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook. Voters in the district, he said last month, were in no mood to experiment.
The district’s “voters got it right — 47% MRT, 24% Yoo,” Ridley-Thomas said.
Tuesday was far from a bad night for political veterans and incumbents. In an Eastside race to replace Councilman Jose Huizar, former state Sen. Kevin de León appeared to be avoiding a runoff, according to results tallied as of Wednesday evening.
In the San Fernando Valley, Councilman John Lee had a solid lead over college educator Loraine Lundquist in a rematch to represent neighborhoods including Chatsworth, Porter Ranch and Granada Hills.
Three other incumbents — Paul Krekorian, Nury Martinez and Marqueece Harris-Dawson — sailed easily to reelection.


latimes--2020-03-04--Californians on Grand Princess cruise last month may have been exposed to coronavirus

The California man who died of coronavirus was on a cruise ship in February filled with other residents of the state , and officials are trying to determine whether any other passengers became ill when they returned home .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said local health officials will now be reaching out to determine whether other passengers have contracted the virus .
By one estimate , more than 50 % of the roughly 2,500 passengers who traveled from San Francisco to Mexico and back on the cruise ship are Californians , Newsom said .
Some , including the man who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom said he felt confident that the state could contain the spread of the virus by passengers of the cruise who had already returned to California .
“ We have the resources , ” Newsom said .
“ We have the capacity .
By this evening , we will have contacted every county health official that has someone who came off this cruise .
They will have their contact information and begin a process to contact those individuals.
” The first Californian to die from the coronavirus was an elderly man with multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man ’ s name was not released .
There have been more than 50 coronavirus cases in California .
Some people got the virus through “ community spread ” not connected to foreign travel .
Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said the man who died first developed symptoms while on a Princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico that returned Feb. 21 .
Princess Cruises said it was notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that they are investigating a small cluster of cases in Northern California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Princess Mexican voyage .
The company said that 62 guests who sailed during the Mexico voyage remained on board for a current trip to Hawaii .
In an abundance of caution , these guests and other possible close crew contacts have been asked to remain in their staterooms until screened by the ship ’ s medical team .
That cruise has been cut short and will return early to San Francisco .
So far , Sisson said , health officers have determined that the man who died had minimal contact in the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare workers at Kaiser and five emergency responders who came in contact with the man are being quarantined , Sisson said .
Those 15 people in quarantine do not pose a threat to those they came in contact with during the days before they knew of their exposure because they were not showing symptoms , Sisson said .
Rocklin , Calif. , Fire Chief Bill Hack said emergency responders are wearing protective masks and goggles when responding to 911 calls until it is clear whether a person has respiratory symptoms that could indicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responders who have been quarantined related to the Placer County death are Rocklin firefighters .
Newsom said the Princess cruise ship that the Placer County resident had traveled on was expected to return from Hawaii to San Francisco today .
The state delayed the ship ’ s arrival , Newsom said , because several passengers and staff aboard the ship have exhibited coronavirus symptoms .
California is sending testing kits and preparing to adequately handle the passengers when they arrive .

The California man who died of coronavirus was on a cruise ship in February filled with other residents of the state, and officials are trying to determine whether any other passengers became ill when they returned home.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said local health officials will now be reaching out to determine whether other passengers have contracted the virus.
By one estimate, more than 50% of the roughly 2,500 passengers who traveled from San Francisco to Mexico and back on the cruise ship are Californians, Newsom said. Some, including the man who died, were on a tour.
Newsom said he felt confident that the state could contain the spread of the virus by passengers of the cruise who had already returned to California.
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“We have the resources,” Newsom said. “We have the capacity. By this evening, we will have contacted every county health official that has someone who came off this cruise. They will have their contact information and begin a process to contact those individuals.”
The first Californian to die from the coronavirus was an elderly man with multiple underlying medical conditions, officials said Wednesday. The man’s name was not released.
There have been more than 50 coronavirus cases in California. Some people got the virus through “community spread” not connected to foreign travel.
Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said the man who died first developed symptoms while on a Princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico that returned Feb. 21.
Princess Cruises said it was notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that they are investigating a small cluster of cases in Northern California among guests who sailed on the Grand Princess Mexican voyage.
The company said that 62 guests who sailed during the Mexico voyage remained on board for a current trip to Hawaii. In an abundance of caution, these guests and other possible close crew contacts have been asked to remain in their staterooms until screened by the ship’s medical team. That cruise has been cut short and will return early to San Francisco.
So far, Sisson said, health officers have determined that the man who died had minimal contact in the community since returning from the cruise.
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Ten healthcare workers at Kaiser and five emergency responders who came in contact with the man are being quarantined, Sisson said. Those 15 people in quarantine do not pose a threat to those they came in contact with during the days before they knew of their exposure because they were not showing symptoms, Sisson said.
Rocklin, Calif., Fire Chief Bill Hack said emergency responders are wearing protective masks and goggles when responding to 911 calls until it is clear whether a person has respiratory symptoms that could indicate COVID-19.
Three of the five emergency responders who have been quarantined related to the Placer County death are Rocklin firefighters.
Newsom said the Princess cruise ship that the Placer County resident had traveled on was expected to return from Hawaii to San Francisco today. The state delayed the ship’s arrival, Newsom said, because several passengers and staff aboard the ship have exhibited coronavirus symptoms. California is sending testing kits and preparing to adequately handle the passengers when they arrive.