L.A. City Council Votes Unanimously to Prepare Ordinance to Ban Oil Drilling

The city council of Los Angeles, once a hub of the American oil industry, voted 10-0 on Tuesday to instruct the city attorney to prepare an ordinance that would ban oil drilling within a city that is still dotted with pumpjacks.

The Los Angeles Daily News reported:

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a similar ordinance earlier in October. The City Council in January unanimously approved a series of recommendations aimed at banning new oil and gas wells. The draft ordinance would phase out all such oil and gas extraction activities by immediately banning new oil and gas extraction and ceasing existing operations within 20 years.

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Many community groups have lobbied Los Angeles to stop oil drilling, citing the harm it has on communities, which is disproportionately felt in working-class communities and communities of color. More than 500,000 Los Angeles County residents live within a half-mile of an active oil well.

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[Council President Paul] Krekorian responded to concerns over a potential loss of jobs and an increase in gas prices. He said less than 1% of crude oil processed in Southern California refineries actually comes from wells in Los Angeles, and the loss of oil drilling will not impact gas prices locally. On jobs, Krekorian said he believes the era of oil and gas is ending regardless.

Outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti championed a local version of the “Green New Deal,” under which the city will allow three natural gas power plants to shut down rather than refurbishing them. The plan was adopted over objections by city officials who warned that L.A. will struggle to keep the lights on without the power plants.

Garcetti persisted with his policy even after voters rejected a candidate who supported it in a special election.

L.A. has many pumpjacks within its municipal boundaries, especially along the route from West L.A. to Los Angeles International Airport through the Baldwin Hills neighborhood. Drivers in the city already pay some of the highest gas prices in the nation, thanks to regulations, taxes, and limitations on refinery capacity.