Last week the Los Angeles City Council Committee on Energy, Climate Change & Environmental Justice unanimously voted to pursue a phase-out of oil drilling throughout the City of LA.
Council directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance declaring oil and gas extraction sites non-conforming land uses. The motion, which was introduced by Council President Nury Martinez, also advises the City Planning Department to report on the necessary budget and staff requirements to address oil wells in residential neighborhoods, including the completion of an amortization study, similar to what took place in Culver City earlier this year.
Led by environmental justice advocates with the STAND-L.A. coalition, the unanimous vote came after years of community organizing by local residents impacted by oil drilling who continued to pressure the City to protect public health by phasing out neighborhood oil drilling. During the hearing, Council Members echoed advocates’ calls for the creation of a robust workforce development program to support hard-working Angelenos in the energy sector with good-paying, unionized jobs that will help actualize a just transition away from fossil fuels.
The motion approved by the Committee must now be passed by a full City Council vote.
While the the fight is far from over, this is a landmark moment for environmental justice in Los Angeles. It is a decisive move toward building a just transition away from fossil fuels in the heart of the largest urban oil field in the nation.
Huge thanks to all of you who called, sent emails, and testified for this win, and high props to all the locally impacted communities who continue their fight in the youth-led movement for environmental justice in LA!