One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Sen. Barbara Boxer Wants To Stop Stinky, Possibly Dangerous Oil Drilling Project In L.A.
It smells bad. (Photo by kozirsky via Shutterstock)
Sen. Barbara Boxer stopped by a South Los Angeles neighborhood this afternoon where residents have been complaining that an oil drilling project in their neighborhood is making them sick. During her stop Boxer called on the company in charge of the project to stop production, according to the Associated Press.
Allenco Energy Co. leases land near Mount St. Mary's College in University Park from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It ramped up production at some old oil wells around 2009, and that's about the time residents began complaining about smelly fumes, nosebleeds, headaches, respiratory problems and other health issues. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has cited the company for its project releasing foul orders 15 times but it insists that the fumes are harmless, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Residents in the mostly low-income neighborhood don't believe them, and neither does James Dahlgren, a former professor at UCLA and toxicology expert. He's investigating complaints on behalf of a group that builds affordable housing projects in the area. He told the Times, "If you can smell it, it's not safe. These people are experiencing symptoms."
Allenco hasn't commented in either previous stories for the Times or the AP's story today.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
