With Phillips 66 oil refinery closing, some residents worry they\u2019re already being left in the dark<\/p>\n
A task force to improve transparency and community input on the process has stalled in Carson.<\/p>\n
The Phillips 66 oil refinery in the South Bay is shutting down, and nearby communities want a say in what comes next. But some residents worry they\u2019re already being left out. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Carson officials had called for creating a task force that would include community members to provide recommendations during the redevelopment process, but the effort has stalled.<\/p>\n
City officials say they\u2019re in direct conversation with Phillips 66 and are hosting community town halls for residents.<\/p>\n
The background<\/p>\n
Phillips 66 announced its intention to close<\/a> its L.A. refinery in 2024, citing an aging facility and increasingly strict state regulations. The refinery spans more than 650 acres and has two main complexes, one in the L.A. neighborhood of Wilmington and one in Carson. They\u2019re connected via a 5-mile pipeline. The company processed its final barrel of crude oil late last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n Keep up with LAist.<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. <\/p>\n Soon after Phillips 66 announced its intent to close, the Carson City Council passed a yearlong moratorium on proposals to develop the site and amended the general plan to give the council authority to approve the final plans for redeveloping the portion of the property within city limits.<\/p>\n What Carson leaders said\u00a0<\/p>\n When the moratorium expired last year, and in anticipation of the company submitting a project proposal, Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes directed staff to put together a task force \u2014 including residents, City Council members and other stakeholders \u2014 to help inform the cleanup and redevelopment of some 223 acres of the company\u2019s land within Carson city limits.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aI know that my residents are real concerned about what they would like to see on that site versus them being told after the fact,\u201d Mayor Pro Tem Cedric L. Hicks Sr. said at a council meeting last September, when he also expressed support for establishing a task force.<\/p>\n Task force effort stalls<\/p>\n Nearly nine months later, a task force has not been created.<\/p>\n In a statement to LAist, Carson spokesperson Margie Revilla-Garcia said the task force hasn\u2019t yet been established \u201cas staff is still discussing its structure internally.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt this time, no timeline has been established for the creation of the task force,\u201d Revilla-Garcia wrote in an email.<\/p>\n Councilwoman Arleen Rojas, whose district includes the refinery, said a task force is premature \u2014 cleanup should be the priority.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the community that\u2019s been giving us ideas on what they want there, but we really need to clean it up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Rojas said the council established an ad hoc committee that regularly meets with Phillips 66 about the cleanup. Meanwhile, she said the city has hosted and will hold more town hall meetings to educate residents about the cleanup process, which is likely to take years.<\/p>\n In April, Phillips 66 submitted its initial plan<\/a> to turn the site into warehouses and industrial buildings. (The company submitted a proposal<\/a> for its Wilmington site in August 2025 to the city of L.A.)<\/p>\n How to submit your comments on Phillips 66\u2019s Carson proposal<\/p>\n There\u2019s still a long way to go before any development occurs \u2014 the site needs to be cleaned up, and that will take years. The public will have opportunity to provide feedback on multiple occasions via the environmental review process, which is not expected to start for another year or more.<\/p>\n The deadline to comment on the initial plan submitted by Phillips 66 for its Carson property is Thursday (June 11) at 5 p.m. Read the plan here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Send comments to McKina Alexander, Carson\u2019s planning manager, at malexander@carsonca.gov<\/a>, to planning@carsonca.gov, or by calling (310) 952-1761, ext. 1326. Comments can also be mailed to City Hall, 701 E. Carson St., Carson CA, 90745.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next<\/p>\n