The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted on Oct. 29 to oppose the plan by the City of Whittier and Matrix Oil Co. to drill on publicly owned parkland in the Whittier Hills.

The unanimous vote followed a lengthy public meeting that included a number of emotional statements by opponents of the proposed drilling project. “Oil and open space don’t mix,” Supervisor Gloria Molina told The Los Angeles Times after the meeting.

The city and Santa Barbara-based Matrix Oil said the vote had little significance. They noted that the proposed project is already the subject of litigation. “The courts have jurisdiction over this matter, not the county,” said Whittier Mayor Bob Henderson.

Officials of Matrix Oil also said the county lacked jurisdiction, and that the board’s environmental consultant presented a misleading overview of the project. Matrix plans to develop a seven-acre pad on the 1,280-acre nature preserve.

“This is a project that will create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars from royalties,”Matrix Oil President Johnny Jordan said at the hearing.

The city planned to use some of its proceeds to purchase more opens space and create additional wildlife habitat, he noted.