The Brief

Next door to a Boys and Girls Club in Wilmington, an oil pumpjack slowly bobs up and down. Across the street, oil holding tanks and a couple more pumpjacks pepper a park landscape.

This L.A. neighborhood has the highest concentration of oil drilling in the city. And in the absence of consistent monitoring by regulators, a small group of public health advocates has taken matters into their own hands, documenting equipment leaks using a high-tech camera.

It looks something like a camcorder, but it’s no ordinary video camera — it’s a forward looking infrared camera, or FLIR.

Cesar Aguirre with the Central California Environmental Justice Network uses a FLIR camera to monitor methane leaks at an oil drilling site at a park in Wilmington.

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“ Methane absorbs a certain wavelength of light, and this camera is tuned to that wavelength, so you're able to see methane,” explained Ivan Ortiz, an analyst and field investigator with the Central California Environmental Justice Network, based in Bakersfield in Kern County, where the vast majority of California’s oil drilling occurs.

The group was able to buy the camera, which cost around $100,000, through a combination of grants. It has allowed them to document leaks at dozens of sites near homes, schools and other sensitive areas in Kern County that otherwise may have gone unnoticed. The camera is approved by state and federal regulators to monitor such leaks.

Since October, they’ve partnered with a coalition of Angelenos to monitor drill sites in L.A. and submit data to regulators in the hopes they’ll conduct more thorough inspections and fix the leaks.

“We really want to hold regulators accountable to make sure that they do their job, and set an actual gold standard for community protection and not protecting profit,” said Cesar Aguirre, an associate director at CCEJN.

Cesar Aguirre, left, and Ivan Ortiz look at a methane leak from an idle oil pumpjack that they documented with a FLIR camera.

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Why it matters

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that’s rapidly heating up the planet. It often leaks from oil and gas wells, pipelines and tanks. And when methane leaks, it’s likely other chemicals are too, such as benzene, a carcinogen.

Research has found that communities living near oil drilling sites have higher rates of asthma, cancer and premature birth.

Monitoring methane has been a key way for researchers to parse out health impacts from oil and gas infrastructure, versus other sources of pollution, such as nearby freeways.

Homes in Wilmington are neighbors with oil infrastructure, including this holding tank.

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“ Methane, generally, is not considered a health toxin, but we use it as a proxy marker for exposure because it's specifically related to natural gas and oil extraction and not to traffic,” said Jill Johnston, an environmental health professor at USC who studies the health effects of oil drilling in L.A.

“Even in neighborhoods in L.A. where we know there's a lot of different kinds of pollution, that proximity to oil wells can be a factor that influences health outcomes,” Johnston said.

Her research was cited in a state law passed in 2022 that requires a 3,200-foot buffer zone between new oil and gas wells and neighborhoods and schools. It was also cited in the ordinances passed by the county and city of L.A. to phase out oil drilling in neighborhoods (which has been stalled by lawsuits brought by the oil industry).

A screenshot from the California Geologic Energy Management Division well map of oil wells and holding tanks in a park and next to a Boys and Girls Club in Wilmington.

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But L.A. was built on oil, so these drill sites are all over the city.

“This kind of aging infrastructure throughout L.A. is really concerning for health and safety,” said Emma Silber with Physicians for Social Responsibility L.A., one of a coalition of groups working to end urban oil drilling in the city.

Small leaks add up 

With the FLIR camera, Ortiz, Aguirre and Silber walked to one of the pumpjacks in the Wilmington park. This pumpjack is idle, which means it’s not producing oil. But it hasn’t been plugged, so it can still leak.

And sure enough, it is. Ortiz looked at the black and white viewfinder of the camera — tiny plumes of what look like smoke come out of a joint in a pipe.

“It's like very short burps coming from the pipe,” Ortiz observed.

Then we headed over to some oil holding tanks a couple hundred yards away, right next to the park’s soccer field. The numbers started to go up.

“I can smell it,” said Silber.

“ 14...14.9, that's as high as it went. It’s starting to go down,” Ortiz said.

“ Well, let's not stay here then,” Silber replied, adjusting her face mask.

“But now we have it, it's in the data, so we're able to submit that,” Ortiz said.

Emma Silber, right, and Cesar Aguirre assess a pumpjack for methane leaks.

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What’s considered by regulators to be normal is a leak at 2 parts per million, or ppm. On this day, these tanks appeared to be leaking at nearly 15 ppm, and just a few months ago, the group measured leaks here as high as 134 ppm.

That’s far less than the 50,000 ppm that could cause an explosion, but researchers worry about the cumulative impact of these smaller, near-constant leaks — for both the planet’s and people’s health.

“They may be small leaks individually, but the cumulative impact means that there are higher risk exposures for the communities living around them,” said Kyle Ferrar, a researcher with FracTracker Alliance, a nonprofit that investigates leaks and associated health risks from oil and gas sites.

(LAist reached out to O’Donnell Oil, the oil company that owns the visited sites, via phone and email, but did not receive a response.)

Advocates have documented methane leaks from these tanks using infrared several times.

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Irregular monitoring 

Ferrar said a big part of the problem is the lack of consistent monitoring. While big refineries are required to have fence line air sensors, these small sites aren’t.

“All the monitoring has to be done via inspections, and typically there's not many triggers that would inspire an inspection to occur — that means that community members and researchers like myself have to be on the ground identifying issues,” Ferrar said. “Even when we do identify these leaks, we don't know how long they've been leaking for.”

It's time-consuming and expensive to inspect these sites one-by-one, so regulators often rely on community complaints and self-monitoring by oil companies.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District, which oversees these sites along with the state, has only 10 inspectors for a region with thousands of wells.

Small drill sites like these are not required to have fence line air sensors like big refineries are.

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A spokesperson for the agency told LAist in an email that “our enforcement team does its best to conduct unannounced on-site inspections, but some sites are visited more frequently if they are subject to public complaints.” The companies that own the sites are also required to submit self-monitoring reports more frequently to the district.

Better data, however, is necessary to actually drive effective policy, said Johnston, the USC professor.

“Regulators want data to push policy changes, but yet no one's going out and collecting the data that's needed,” she said. “And so, again, the burden has fallen on the community to have to prove that they're being harmed.”

If a minor leak is confirmed by an inspector, the air quality district sends a notice to the oil operator to fix it. If the leak hits more than 50,000 ppm, the inspector cites them with a violation, meaning the oil operator is subject to a fine and possible litigation. Operators have more time to fix smaller leaks — two weeks or more — whereas bigger leaks are required to be fixed as soon as within the day, according to the air quality district’s regulations.

Ivan Ortiz inputs data, from the FLIR camera, into an app. The data will also be submitted to regulators.

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Ferrar said the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the state now have some of the most robust monitoring efforts in the country — including a mobile van owned by the air quality district that can document leaks at the street level, a state law that went into effect in 2018 that says any level of leaking methane is a violation, and new satellite monitoring of methane leaks — but it still doesn’t go far enough.

“The oil and gas industry says that they're able to extract oil and gas safely without leaks — well, we have yet to see it,” Ferrar said. “And the people, taxpayers, are the ones who are paying for the inspections, paying for all regulatory oversight of these industries.”

Whack-a-mole accountability

Even if the sites are inspected and the leaks fixed, they’re likely to leak again in another spot, so it’s a bit like whack-a-mole, Ferrar said.

“Many of these sites are producing very little oil but still have a lot of pressure down hole, so there's still a lot of leaks coming up and the potential for leaks to form is always there,” he said.

The real answer, he said, is shutting them down.

“These wells that are producing very little oil, they need to be shut down,” Ferrar said. “There's no reason for them to be operating this close to homes.”

That’s something many community members have wanted for years. As a result of that advocacy, back in 2022, the city of L.A. passed an ordinance to end new drilling and phase out existing drilling in the city over the next 20 years, but the effort has been stalled by lawsuits brought by oil companies. A Superior Court judge struck down the ordinance last year, citing state law.

The team heads out to monitor methane leaks from oil wells and tanks at a Wilmington park.

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What’s next

The settlement on that case is nearly final, and once it is, the city will reintroduce the ordinance, said City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky.

“We have clear authority now from the state that we didn't have before, so we think it's important that we protect the public health of communities,” she told LAist.

That authority is a new state law passed last year that gives cities the explicit right to limit or prohibit oil drilling within their jurisdiction. Previously, only the state had that power.

But Yaroslavsky emphasized that there needs to be faster ways to shut down sites to address both the public health and climate harms of these leaky wells and tanks.

“We can't just rely on one strategy, and we shouldn't wait for the courts; the legal process will take time,” Yaroslavsky said. “We know that the oil industry has very deep pockets, really limitless pockets, and they will sue on everything. So we're actively testing a couple of different models.”

One model is not renewing a pipeline franchise agreement, which allows an operator to move oil via underground pipelines. That’s what happened earlier this year at a drill site in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood that has a long history of violations. Now, the company that owns that site is coming to the table to discuss how to redevelop the site with community input, Yaroslavsky said. The city is also exploring other regulatory avenues to shut down other sites, she said.

“There's a lot of data that shows that urban oil drilling has negative health impacts on surrounding communities, so even low levels [of leaks] aren't acceptable feet from where people are going to school or work or living,” Yaroslavsky said. “There are these legacy polluters in the middle of neighborhoods, and we can't continue to normalize their presence.”

From left, Ortiz, Aguirre and Silber monitor an active oil pumpjack next to a Boys and Girls Club in Wilmington.

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If you suspect a leak

You can submit air quality complaints by calling South Coast Air Quality Management District’s hotline (800) CUT-SMOG (288-7664), by using AQMD's online form, or through the agency’s mobile app. Complaints can be filed anonymously.

You can search the record of violations for regulated facilities, such as oil wells, near you via the air district's F.I.N.D. tool.

The story first appeared on The LA Local.

Koreatown is preparing for major 2026 FIFA World Cup watch parties next month, with thousands of fans expected to cheer on South Korea during three of its group stage matches.

As excitement builds around the World Cup, concerns remain about possible federal immigration enforcement during the international event.

The three watch parties are scheduled for June 11 and June 24 at Liberty Park and June 18 at Seoul International Park, which organizers expect to draw thousands of attendees.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attempted to reassure any concerns about federal raids Tuesday while promoting the watch parties. 

“I want folks to know that the World Cup is going to be peaceful,” Bass said during a press conference at Liberty Park. “With this administration, I can tell you the best that I know at this hour. So with that in mind, I do not believe that ICE will be at any of the watch parties.”

Bass could not give a firm guarantee that immigration enforcement would not take place during the tournament.

At a media roundtable on Thursday, Bass said federal law enforcement would have a visible presence around World Cup events and venues.

“The events will be safe, because these are international events. And so it’s not just going to be LAPD, it’s going to be a lot of other local law enforcement agencies as well as federal support,” she said. “So in some instances, especially near the venues, you will have federal presence, not ICE, probably the National Guard, but they will be here.”

Bass said she feels confident there will not be ICE raids during the World Cup matches in Los Angeles, because President Donald Trump and his administration do not want the games to project chaos on the international stage. 

“I think during these games … the last concern will be security, because you’ll see an overwhelming force of security. We just have to get our people to not be fearful that there will be ICE raids that happen,” she said about the World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. 

“He doesn’t want the world to see chaos on our streets. He really doesn’t. And that’s why I feel confident that we will not have ICE raids,” she said about Trump. 

Bass added Tuesday that she believes ICE would be present in Inglewood during the World Cup to “look for people who might be on the no-fly list.”

Where to watch the World Cup in Koreatown

Viewing parties for South Korea’s June 11 opener against the Czech Republic and its June 24 match against South Africa will be held at Liberty Park in Koreatown, with programming beginning at 2 p.m. for both events.

The June 18 match against Mexico will take place at Seoul International Park and is expected to draw the largest crowds. Organizers say programming for that event will begin at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the day, with the match livestream beginning at 6 p.m.

Each event will feature large outdoor viewing areas with giant LED screens, live cheering squads and a main stage with K-pop performances, taekwondo demonstrations, traditional Korean performances, ballet and other entertainment throughout the day.

Organizers are also planning mini soccer games, face painting, photo booths and other family-friendly activities. Food trucks and vendors will line the festival grounds, and a separate senior area is being planned so older attendees can participate safely alongside younger fans.

Young-wan Kim, consul general of South Korea in Los Angeles, said the World Cup carries deep emotional significance for many in the community because of memories from South Korea’s historic 2002 World Cup run.

“It’s an opportunity for us to demonstrate our strengths and our unity and our solidarity,” Kim said. “I hope our celebration of unity goes beyond our community, bringing all races, all people with different backgrounds together.”

Viewing party organizers are working with the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, private security teams, medical staff and city officials to prepare for the large crowds, said Duha Hwang with marketing agency and organizer Advue.

He added that organizers already have insurance coverage and safety measures in place for the events.

The watch parties are being organized by the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, the L.A. Korean Festival Foundation, the Korean American Chamber of Commerce and more groups.

The first 1,000 attendees at each match will receive free “Red Devils” shirts and cheering items. The “Red Devils,” the official supporters group for South Korea’s national soccer team, became a defining image of the 2002 World Cup, when massive crowds dressed in red packed streets across the country to cheer on the team during its historic run to the semifinals — still the furthest an Asian men’s national team has ever advanced in the tournament.

Hwang said organizers hope to recreate some of that atmosphere in Koreatown.

“We believe this event is becoming something much bigger than a traditional Korean community gathering,” Hwang said.

The Los Angeles City Council has officially delayed minimum wage increases for tourism workers. The council made the final vote Tuesday, pushing back a boost to $30 an hour for airport and hotel workers from 2028 to 2030.

The controversial move comes after L.A. faced major pressure from business interests, which had gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal the business tax. That effort could have financially ruined the city if it passed.

After the City Council voted to delay the wage from the November ballot, the leaders behind that ballot measure withdrew it.

It's a maneuver hotel workers have called a "shakedown." Originally celebrated as an "Olympic Wage," the $30 minimum was pegged to the arrival of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. But a battle to upend it started as soon as the City Council passed it last year.

Workers who had counted on the increases aren't happy.

" I would expect my councilmember to stand up for working Angelenos, not help giant companies take money out of our pockets," Jordan Long, a bartender at LAX, said at a recent council meeting.

Stuart Waldman with the Valley Industry & Commerce Association told LAist that business groups decided to advance their ballot measure after unions wouldn't broker a deal with them directly.

"The business community has taken a page out of the union playbook to play hardball," he said.

Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Ysabel Jurado and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted against the motion to finalize the wage delay Tuesday.

The Trump administration has mass-deleted information about prosecutions tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including cases of defendants who assaulted police officers. The removals mark the latest phase of President Donald Trump's effort to rewrite the history of the violent riot.

Justice Department news releases that detailed guilty pleas, jury verdicts and prison sentences abruptly disappeared from government websites last week.

On social media, the Justice Department defended the move, saying, "We are proud to reverse the DOJ's weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes. This includes stripping DOJ's website of partisan propaganda."

A review by NPR found that the deleted material included information about some of the most serious assaults on law enforcement that occurred that day. NPR maintains the most complete database and visual archive of the Jan. 6 prosecutions.

The purged news releases covered cases including:

• Daniel Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty to driving an electroshock device into the neck of former Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone, and who was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison. 
• Albuquerque Head, who pleaded guilty to assaulting police and grabbing Fanone by the neck and pulling him into the mob of rioters while yelling, "I got one!" Head was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. 
• Thomas Webster, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting law enforcement with a metal flagpole, tackling a police officer to the ground and trying to remove the officer's gas mask. Webster was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 
• Christopher Alberts, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting police with a wooden pallet and carrying a loaded handgun on Capitol grounds. Alberts was sentenced to seven years in prison.
• Peter Schwartz, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting police officers with pepper spray and throwing a metal chair at law enforcement. Schwartz was sentenced to 14 years in prison. 
  

The previously accessible news releases now lead to a "Page not found" message.

The mass deletion of government information about the riot, in which a mob of Trump supporters injured 140 police officers and threatened the lives of members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence, follows a broader effort by the Trump administration to whitewash the attack.

Trump granted clemency to every Jan. 6 defendant, including full pardons for all the most violent rioters and the erasure of seditious conspiracy convictions for members of extremist groups. The Justice Department fired dozens of prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases and hired a former riot defendant who was seen on video urging the mob to "kill" police. The administration settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the estate of rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed while storming the Capitol, for nearly $5 million. On the fifth anniversary of the riot, the White House created a website that distorts that day's events, describing the rioters as "patriots" and blaming police for causing "chaos." And just last week, the administration announced a $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund," indicating that even rioters who assaulted police may be eligible for payouts.

When speaking about the attack, Trump consistently describes his supporters as victims rather than perpetrators of violence.

"I pardoned people that were assaulted themselves. They were assaulted by our government," Trump said last year. "They didn't assault. They were assaulted."

Police officers who were violently assaulted on Jan. 6 have described suffering lifelong physical and psychological injuries.

"I have been sentenced to a lifetime of medical issues that include physical pain and mental and emotional distress," former Capitol Police Sgt. Federico Ruiz said in a victim impact statement filed in a Jan. 6 case. "There is not a day that goes by that pain, discomfort, and/or a mental health issue do not flare up to remind me of that day."

Brendan Ballou, a former federal prosecutor who worked on Jan. 6 cases, told NPR in a recent interview that the administration's effort to flip the story of the riot is part of a broader effort to attack democratic institutions.

"It's clear there is an ongoing fight to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, because these people know if they can successfully get people to forget about Jan. 6 — or worse yet, condone it — then they will be able to convince people to accept any attack on democracy," said Ballou.

Ballou currently represents two police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 and are suing to prevent payouts from the Anti-Weaponization Fund.

While the government continues to remove information on the attack, NPR's database and visual archive of the attack remains accessible. NPR's work has been used by prosecutors, defendants, academic researchers and the general public.

The searchable database covers all the nearly 1,600 criminal cases, including charges, convictions and sentencing outcomes. The archive also includes a timeline of the day's events and makes accessible hundreds of videos from police body cameras, Capitol surveillance footage and other sources. NPR is currently taking legal action to obtain additional video evidence held by the government, which has not been previously disclosed.
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