7. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS #1 (Limited up to a 30minute period) This portion of the meeting is reserved for comment
on items under the Consent Calendar or items that are not on the agenda . Under
the Ralph M. Brown Act, City Council cannot act on items raised during public comment but may respond briefly to statements made or questions posed; request clarification; or refer the item to staff. Speakers under Orals are limited to either Oral Communications #1 or Oral Communications #2 and no longer than 2 minutes per speaker. If presenting handout material to Council, please provide 11 copies to the City Clerk before speaking.
Name
Joseph
Odencrantz
Comment 02/09/2026 10:10 AM : (No Vote)
Good evening. My name is
Dr. Joseph Odencrantz
.
Some of you may recall that I previously testified before this Council on June 18,
2024
, regarding the importance of site investigation and testing prior to development of the
Torrance Del Amo project at 2325 Crenshaw Boulevard
.
I am the environmental expert whose reports and professional opinions are cited extensively in the lawsuit underlying the proposed settlement related to that project.
Beyond the litigation, I worked directly with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. Based on my professional analysis, a formal site assessment case was opened, and soil vapor and groundwater testing is now required prior to development of this former oil‐field site.
On
February 4, 2026
, I sent a written notice (Notice of Revocation of Consent‐ attached hereto and 11 copies in hard copy to be handed to the Clerk prior to comments being delivered in person on February 10, 2026) to counsel formally withdrawing my authorization for any party to use or rely upon my reports, data, or professional opinions in connection with this matter.
I am here because the City is being asked to consider a settlement that continues to rely—directly or indirectly—on my expert opinions and work product, or on regulatory actions that were initiated based on that work, without my continued authorization.
That creates a material reliance issue for the City, and I wanted the Council to be aware of that before taking any action.
Thank you.
Joseph E. Odencrantz, PhD, PE, BCEE, PH
1 PUBLIC COMMENT REPORT -
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
2121 Yacht Yankee Tel: (949) 698-8851
Newport Beach, California 92660
www.tri-s.com
February 4, 2026
To: Patrick Q. Sullivan, Torrance City Attorney ([email protected]) and Andrew K. Fogg, Cox Castle & Nicholson ([email protected]) CC: Richard Drury, Lozeau | Drury LLP ([email protected])
RE: URGENT: Notice of Revocation of Consent Case Name: Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility v. City of Torrance Case Number: 24STCP02263 (Los Angeles Superior Court)
Dear Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Fogg,
I am the author of the expert reports and professional opinions cited extensively by Plaintiff’s counsel, Richard Drury, in the above-referenced matter (specifically cited 20+ times in filings dated March 5, May 29, July 16, and September 10, 2024).
Please be advised of the following:
1. Unauthorized Use of Credentials: My work on this matter was performed at the personal request of Mr. Drury and in direct collaboration with his staff. Despite this, Mr. Drury has recently asserted in writing that "no contract exists" and has refused to settle outstanding invoices for my professional services.
2. Formal Revocation of License: Because Mr. Drury now disavows our professional relationship, he lacks any legal authority to license, transfer, or utilize my work product as part of a settlement with the City of Torrance or the Real Party in Interest (Rose Equity). As the holder of the PhD, PE, and BCEE credentials behind this work, I hereby formally revoke all consent for any party to utilize, cite, or rely upon my proprietary reports or data in any settlement agreement, permit approval, or judicial proceeding.
3. Notice of Infringement: Any continued use of my professional opinions or credentials following this notice—including the incorporation of my data into "substitute" expert reports—will be considered a willful infringement of my intellectual property and a fraud upon the settlement process.
Disclaimer: This notice is sent to protect my proprietary interests and professional standing in light of Counsel’s written disavowal of our professional relationship. I will not permit my professional reputation and licensed work to be utilized by a party that refuses to honor the basic obligations of our collaboration. 2 Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility v. City of Torrance Page 2 OF 2 Case Number: 24STCP02263
Notice of Revocation of Consent
February 4, 2026
Sincerely,
Joseph E. Odencrantz, PhD, PE, PH, BCEE
Principal Environmental Expert
Tri-S Environmental
3