Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Why LA County had to repeal its oil drilling phaseout in order to phase out oil drilling
Listen
• 0:46
An oil pumpjack see-saws near homes in the Inglewood Oil Field. Research has found that living near oil drilling and refineries is linked to higher rates of asthma, preterm births and cancer.
(
Gary Kavanagh
/
iStockphoto
)
Topline:
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to repeal a 2023 law to phase out oil drilling in unincorporated communities over the next 20 years. Counterintuitively, the move is part of the ongoing effort to end reliance on fossil fuels.
Listen
• 0:46
Why LA County had to repeal its oil drilling phaseout in order to phase out oil drilling
The background: The county’s ordinance and a similar one passed by the city of L.A. in 2022 have been stalled by litigation brought by oil companies. One of those lawsuits led to the city’s ordinance being overturned in late 2024. The companies argued that only the state has the power to regulate oil drilling. However, a state law that went into effect this year explicitly gives local governments the authority to regulate drilling within their jurisdictions.
Support for LAist comes from
Why it matters: Active and idle oil wells are widespread across L.A., but they’re disproportionately concentrated in low-income communities of color. Research has found that living near oil drilling and refineries is linked to higher rates of asthma, preterm births and cancer. Bigger picture, extracting and burning fossil fuels such as oil for energy is a main driver of the rapid climate change we’re currently experiencing, which is why the world’s top scientists agree we need to transition to cleaner sources of energy, such as solar and wind.
What’s next: Because that new state law isn’t retroactive, both the city and county of L.A. have to go through the process of passing new oil phaseout ordinances. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors aims to reintroduce its oil well phaseout in early 2026.
Go deeper:
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist