Transparency Is Crucial as County Considers Centennial Development

I support the action taken by the Center for Biological Diversity last week to obtain copies of communications between Los Angeles County and the Tejon Ranch Co.

We must demand that decisions as important as the pending Board of Supervisors vote on the Centennial Specific Plan are based upon a transparent, unbiased and scientific process.

L.A. County residents should know that the county commissioners moved the Centennial plan forward despite bogus claims about fire hazards and greenhouse gas impacts.

The Centennial development would occupy a high-fire-hazard severity zone.

While the company claims it can reduce fire risk by building a fire station, fire risk is actually based on vegetation, climate and topography.

This reality means Centennial would put future residents in harm’s way.

Centennial also will generate millions of tons of new greenhouse gas emissions; yet the commissioners voted in favor of the project based on Tejon’s incorrect claim that the state cap and trade program “covers” the development’s emissions.

We must ensure that the future of development in Los Angeles County is not obfuscated by political pressure and backroom deals.

To that end, if the county has nothing to hide then they should immediately release their communications with Tejon Ranch. Nick Jensen Southern California Conservation Analyst, California Native Plant Society Claremont