Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Ch. 4.104 Oil Wells, Refineries

It shall be unlawful for any person to drill, bore, maintain, or operate, or commence to drill, bore, maintain, or operate any well for oil or gas or intended for the production of oil, gas, or other hydrocarbon substance therefrom, or to erect, construct, or maintain, or commence to erect, construct, or maintain any derrick or apparatus for use in connection with any such well within the City excepting within the following described portion of the City:

Commencing at a point in the northerly City boundary line of the City 300 feet easterly of the easterly line of Sepulveda Boulevard; thence southerly on a line parallel with the said easterly line of said Sepulveda Boulevard (and its projection across intervening streets) and distant 300 feet easterly therefrom, measured at right angles, to a point 300 feet northerly of the northerly line of Center Street; thence easterly along a line parallel with the northerly line of said Center Street (and its projection across intervening streets) and distant 300 feet northerly therefrom, measured at right angles, to the easterly boundary line of the City; thence northerly and westerly along the easterly and northerly boundary lines of the City in their various courses to the point of beginning.

It shall be unlawful for any person to drill, bore, maintain or operate, or commence to drill, bore, maintain or operate any well for oil or gas or other hydrocarbon substance, or well intended for the production of oil, gas or other hydrocarbon substance therefrom, or to erect, construct or maintain, or to commence to erect, construct or maintain, any derrick or apparatus for use in connection with any such well within that portion of the City where such wells, derricks and operations are permitted without a permit in writing from the Council so to do first had and obtained.

(§ 2, Ord. 485)

Any person desiring a permit required by the provisions of Section 4.104.020 of this chapter shall file a written application with the Council. The application shall state the location of the proposed well, derrick or apparatus; the purpose for which such well, derrick or apparatus is to be drilled, constructed, erected or used; the name and address of the applicant and, if a corporation, association or firm, the name and address of each of the officers or principal agents, or partners thereof, as the case may be. The Council may grant or refuse to grant any such permit in its discretion and shall have the right to prescribe such terms and conditions to be observed in the event of the granting of any such permit as the Council in its judgment may determine necessary or advisable.

(§ 3, Ord. 485)

Any person granted a permit as required by the provisions of Sections 4.104.020 and 4.104.030 of this chapter shall pay to the City for each permit, a permit fee established by the Council under separate resolution contemporaneously with the granting of such permit, and at the same time shall pay in addition thereto, a license fee as established by the Council under separate resolution, which use fee shall constitute the license fee for a period of one year from the date of the granting of the permit. Each year thereafter the permittee shall pay to the City in advance a further sum as established by the Council under separate resolution as an annual license fee for each and every year subsequent to the first year. The license fee shall be paid to the City for each and every well maintained or operated within the portion of the City where the drilling, maintenance or operation of such wells is permitted, and whether the same is in the process of drilling, prospecting or producing, or is standing idle, until such well is finally abandoned in accordance with the requirements and regulations of the Mining Bureau of the State, the requirements and regulations of the City relating to such matters, and the requirements of the permit issued for any such well, and until the derrick, and equipment thereof, is completely dismantled and removed from the premises upon which the same has been located and such premises are restored as nearly as reasonably possible to the same condition as that in which the same existed immediately prior to the granting of the permit.

(§ 4, Ord. 485, as amended by § 8, Ord. 1458, eff. June 17, 1976)

The annual license fee imposed by the provisions of Section 4.104.040 shall apply to each derrick or well now existing within that portion of the City where such derrick or well is permitted to exist under the provisions of this chapter, irrespective of the time of its construction or whether it was constructed pursuant to a permit granted in accordance with this chapter. It shall be unlawful to operate or maintain any such existing well unless such annual license fee is paid as provided in this chapter. Such annual license fee shall continue to be paid until such derrick and appurtenances are removed and such well is finally abandoned and the premises are restored as required by this chapter in the cases of wells for which permits may be granted under the provisions of Section 4.104.020 hereof.

(§ 5, Ord. 485)

The operation or maintenance of any refinery, plant or factory for refining or converting crude oil or petroleum into gasoline, distillate, kerosene, naphtha, benzine or any other refined product by any means whatsoever in the City is hereby declared to be a nuisance, unlawful and prohibitive. It shall be unlawful for any person, whether as principal, agent or otherwise, to operate or maintain or assist in the operation or maintaining of any refinery, plant or factory for refining or converting crude oil or petroleum into gasoline, distillate, kerosene, naphtha, benzine or other products, by any means whatsoever, within any portion of the City.

(§ 1, Ord. 252)