The Los Angeles City Council unanimously advanced an ordinance last week aimed at halting new oil and gas drilling and phasing out all existing production within the city over the next two decades. With more than 2,000 active oil wells in Los Angeles, the measure, if finalized, would make the city the largest in the United States to phase out urban oil drilling.

This ordinance revisits a similar ban passed in 2022 but later invalidated by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. The earlier ban was struck down following a legal challenge by oil companies, including Warren Resources, which operates a significant oil field spanning Wilmington, Long Beach, and parts of Los Angeles. The court ruled that state law, not city ordinances, governs petroleum production, thereby nullifying the local ban.

In response to the setback, California legislators passed Assembly Bill 3233, which explicitly reaffirmed the authority of cities and counties to regulate oil and gas operations within their jurisdictions. Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, speaking during the council meeting, emphasized that the state legislation "unequivocally" provides local governments the power to limit or prohibit oil extraction activities.

Drafted by the Department of City Planning, the new ordinance prohibits new oil and gas extraction activities, including drilling, redrilling, or deepening existing wells for production. It also classifies all active and idle wells as “nonconforming uses,” limiting their operation to a phaseout period and removing their zoning compliance status.

Warren Resources did not provide comment on the new ordinance. The company previously asserted that the 2022 ban was hastily implemented and warned it could increase reliance on imported oil, resulting in higher emissions from transportation and other unintended environmental consequences.

Environmental justice advocates and community members have long raised concerns about the health impacts of oil drilling in Los Angeles. Many wells are located near residential neighborhoods, schools, and parks, predominantly in low-income and communities of color, including Wilmington, the harbor district, West Los Angeles, and South Los Angeles. Residents have reported symptoms such as respiratory issues, headaches, and throat irritation, and studies have linked oil well emissions to carcinogens and other adverse health outcomes.

Silvia Esparza, a South Los Angeles resident and member of the environmental justice group Stand-L.A., described the ordinance as a critical step toward ensuring clean air for frontline communities. Meanwhile, Wilmington resident and organizer Ashley Hernandez of Communities for a Better Environment highlighted the ongoing environmental hazards faced by local residents, ranging from oil drilling emissions to recent incidents like an oil pipeline rupture in the L.A. River and a toxic warehouse fire in Boyle Heights. Hernandez urged city officials to prioritize residents' health over oil industry interests.

The ordinance still requires a second council vote for final approval, expected later this summer. If adopted, it will initiate a gradual shutdown of urban oil production in Los Angeles over the coming 20 years.