Last month, the Los Angeles City Council faced backlash after revoking a significant policy affecting working-class, Black, and Latine families living near active neighborhood oil drilling.
Originally passed in 2022, the ordinance aimed to phase out oil wells in the city to protect public health.
Communities near oil drilling sites are increasingly aware of the links between active oil extraction, serious health issues, and environmental degradation.
Health risks such as asthma, cancer, and other chronic problems disproportionately affect areas populated by Black and Latino residents, who are forced to endure the consequences of oil drilling as profits line the pockets of oil companies.
Many may not realize that Los Angeles contains the largest urban oil field in the country, making the city a focal point in the debate over oil drilling in urban areas.
The ordinance to end toxic oil extraction encountered challenges in court from powerful oil companies, leading to a judge blocking the policy last September.
For many residents, the decision came as a disappointment, yet it was not entirely unexpected; the oil industry is known for vigorously defending its financial interests.
The impact of this ruling is devastating for public health; neighborhoods still grappling with the effects of toxic air pollution from oil drilling are left waiting for justice.
As long as oil companies can continue their operations in Los Angeles, the residents will bear the brunt of the pollution while also contributing to global climate change.
This reality became starkly clear during the January wildfires, which were fueled by climate change and exacerbated by the very oil industry that pollutes the air.
Smoke from the wildfires infiltrated communities throughout the L.A. area, creating ongoing health hazards and damaging property.
Even months later, residents from Altadena to the Pacific Palisades are still tackling cleanup efforts amidst a backdrop of grief and uncertainty.
The wildfires made one fact unmistakable: fossil fuels pose a threat to both health and property in Los Angeles.
As the city aims to recover from these disasters, residents are calling for a re-evaluation of what ‘normal’ should look like—a normal that prioritizes health and safety over corporate greed.
Community leaders are urging a new vision for Los Angeles, one in which clean air is accessible to all, and public health is prioritized over the profits of large oil companies.
Such a transformation must begin at the local level.
For genuine progress, the public must demand accountability from their City leaders, ensuring that the interests of communities are not sacrificed for the benefit of Big Oil.
The L.A. City Council now has an opportunity to pursue stronger policies to mitigate the harmful effects of oil drilling.
A new law enacted in 2024 allows both the City and County of Los Angeles to limit or prohibit oil and gas operations, giving local leaders expanded power to act in the interest of public health.
Advocates for environmental justice are urging the City Council to quickly leverage this authority to readopt an ordinance to phase out oil drilling in neighborhoods across L.A.
Community members specifically demand a more aggressive timeline for the phase-out process; the initial 20-year timeline for the implementation of the previous ordinance has been deemed unacceptable by many in frontline communities.
Evidence from recent amortization studies released by the City highlights the urgency of this issue—the status quo is no longer tenable.
It is unacceptable to continue allowing the younger generations, the working populace, and the elderly of L.A. to be exposed to harmful levels of pollution while they wait for change.
The call to dismantle oil wells within the city is a pledge to Angelenos that their health and future take precedence over oil company profits.
The need for change is immediate; residents emphasize that their lives, their health, and their quality of life all hinge on action taken by local leaders.
image source from：lasentinel
