California Oil Imports Debate Heats Up

During a gathering last summer in Southern California, various municipal authorities, oil company representatives and neighborhood residents met to discuss the pros and cons of petroleum import terminals in their areas.

At one point in the discussion, outright frustration suddenly pierced a thin veil of diplomacy in the meeting room.

"The representative from the California Energy Commission threw his presentation materials down onto the podium and stormed out of the room in disgust," according to Lynn Westfall, chief economist of refiner Tesoro(TSO Quote), who was also in attendance at the event. ...