After a prolonged effort marked by legal challenges, Los Angeles has enacted a new ordinance to ban new oil and gas drilling within city limits and phase out existing production over the next 20 years. Mayor Karen Bass signed the measure into law on Thursday, making Los Angeles the largest U.S. city to commit to ending oil extraction on its territory.
The ordinance, which received unanimous approval from the City Council, applies to approximately 600 active and 1,200 idle wells. While existing wells can continue operating during the phaseout period, the measure prohibits redrilling, deepening, or expanding these wells. Routine maintenance and servicing are still permitted. Wells currently idle cannot be reactivated. The legislation classifies all oil and gas operations as a "nonconforming use" under the city’s zoning laws, providing a legal framework for their gradual elimination.
This latest development follows a contentious history. In 2022, Los Angeles initially passed a similar ban, only to have it blocked by a lawsuit from oil and gas producers claiming state law precluded the city’s authority over petroleum production. A superior court agreed in 2024, invalidating the ban. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom subsequently signed Assembly Bill 3233, explicitly granting local governments the power to regulate oil and gas operations within their jurisdictions. This shift enabled the city to revisit and eventually pass the ordinance anew.
Supporters of the ban highlight its significance for public health and environmental justice, noting that oil wells are disproportionately located in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Advocates contend that the ordinance sets a precedent for other cities aiming to phase out fossil fuel infrastructure while prioritizing community health and safety. Environmental justice leaders have pointed to longstanding health concerns linked to oil drilling, such as asthma, miscarriages, heart disease, and cancer, describing local conditions as environmental racism.
Opponents, primarily from the petroleum industry, dispute the ordinance's legality and its impact assertions. Representatives from major operators, including Warren Resources—which led the earlier lawsuit—argue the ban constitutes an unlawful taking of private property, violates vested business and royalty rights, and is based on insufficient environmental review. They question the correlation between local oil operations and adverse health outcomes, maintain that their emissions are not significant, and warn that cutting local production will increase reliance on foreign oil, potentially raising gas prices, emissions, and job losses.
The city’s Climate Action Plan, released earlier this year, supports the ordinance and calls for reclaiming and repurposing former drill sites for community benefits such as housing and parks. Mayor Bass emphasized the need to address the long-standing impact of oil drilling on residents’ health, stating that the city is changing course to improve the future for affected neighborhoods.
City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, a key advocate for the measure, acknowledged the possibility of further legal challenges but expressed confidence in the ordinance’s legal foundation following the state law changes. She affirmed the city’s determination to end oil drilling within Los Angeles, underscoring the public health rationale behind the policy shift.