Overview
- The Los Angeles City Council unanimously advanced the ordinance Tuesday, moving to prohibit new oil and gas drilling and requiring a formal draft for a phased shutdown that must pass a second vote later this summer.
- The proposal would treat more than 2,000 active and idle wells as nonconforming uses in all zones and set a 20-year termination window while exempting wells owned by utilities regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.
- Council members and community advocates cited health and environmental justice concerns, noting that roughly three-quarters of active wells sit near schools, homes or parks in low-income and majority‑minority neighborhoods.
- The move revives a 2022 city ban that was overturned in court but is grounded in Assembly Bill 3233, a 2024 state law that clarified local authority to restrict or prohibit oil and gas operations.
- Oil industry groups warned of fuel-supply and cost impacts and companies that sued over the 2022 ban, including Warren Resources, have pledged or signaled they will likely challenge the new ordinance in court.