Los Angeles city officials are considering an unprecedented move to shut down an active oil production site in the Jefferson Park neighborhood, marking a significant shift in the city’s longstanding relationship with urban oil drilling. The site in question, operated by Bakersfield-based E&B Natural Resources, includes 32 wells clustered along West Adams Boulevard just south of the 10 Freeway. Residents and local advocates have pressured city officials for more than a decade to close the facility, citing health and environmental concerns.
The Murphy drill site, as it is known, has a documented history of air pollution violations, with infractions recorded both before and during the current operator’s tenure. This history has fueled ongoing community activism aimed at phasing out oil extraction within Los Angeles, a city that originally developed around oil production and still hosts upwards of 2,000 active wells.
City zoning officials are now actively reviewing whether to revoke E&B Natural Resources' permit to operate at the site. A rescission of this kind would mark a first for Los Angeles, which has previously opted to phase out oil production through gradual measures rather than permit cancellations.
Reverend Eddie Anderson, senior pastor at McCarty Memorial Christian Church near the site, highlighted the health impacts felt firsthand by residents living in close proximity to the drill site. After moving to Jefferson Park in 2020 to be nearer his congregation, Rev. Anderson reported a worsening of his asthma, a cancer diagnosis for his dog, and his wife's miscarriage. He also relayed concerns shared by neighbors about cancer cases linked to prior residents near the facility.
Jefferson Park, a historically Black neighborhood that now has a majority Black and Latino population, has been a focal point for environmental justice campaigns aimed at addressing long-standing disparities related to pollution and health risks.
The potential closure follows growing momentum in Los Angeles toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels and addressing environmental health hazards associated with urban oil drilling. While officials continue their review, the outcome could set a precedent for other active oil sites in the city, many of which are embedded within or adjacent to residential communities. E&B Natural Resources has yet to publicly comment on the possible permit revocation.