A recent court ruling that invalidated a 2022 Los Angeles law barring new oil wells and gas extraction in the city could be changed following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval Wednesday of three bills intended to strengthen regulations of such activities.
The package of legislation is intended to give cities more power to restrict oil drilling and help the state address idle wells. According to Newsom’s office, the laws represent a step forward in the state’s ongoing efforts to cut pollution.
“This builds off of our all-of-the-above efforts to protect communities from pollution and hold Big Oil accountable,” Newsom said in a statement.
The governor signed off on AB 2716 authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, which prohibits the operation of low-oil production and gas wells located in a field within the Baldwin Hills Conservancy, also known as the Inglewood Oil Field. The law also mandates a $10,000 fine per month on these wells until they are permanently plugged and abandoned.
Fines collected from violators are intended to support the development of parks and other community benefits.
Authored by state Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, AB 3233 gives cities and counties greater authority to impose restrictions on oil and gas operations by limiting or prohibiting oil and gas developments.
“The signing of AB 3233 is a vital win for communities across the Central Coast, and all of California,” Addis said in a statement. “Putting this bill into law affirms our right to clean air and water, free of oil and gas pollution.”
Assemblymember Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara, authored AB 1866, which increases fees and strengthens enforcement to ensure oil companies maintain and safely plug idle wells. The aim is to prevent leaks and address contamination caused by more than 40,000 idle oil wells across the state, supporters said.
The passage of AB 3233 could assist Los Angeles in its legal battle against a recent court ruling to overturn its ban on new oil and gas production. Last week, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Curtis Kin ruled against the ban, which also required that all existing oil production be phased out within 20 years.
Kin said oil regulation falls within the state’s powers and not the city’s, though he recognized that L.A. has a general interest in protecting its residents, as well as the environment.
Warren Resources, which has a 10-acre drilling operation in the Wilmington area, filed the lawsuit in 2022 — one of several made by oil companies such as E&B Natural Resources Management Corp and Hillcrest Beverly Oil Corp.
A representative for Warren Resources did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new laws. The lawsuit contended that the city failed in its duties to conduct an environmental review of the potential impacts of the ban. The company also worried the ban would force the closure of its operations, all within the city limits.
City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, who chairs the council’s Energy and Environment Committee, praised the governor’s actions.
“Los Angeles has the right to protect its communities from the harms of oil drilling, and with these new laws, the state of California has reaffirmed that right,” Yaroslavsky said in a statement.
She also highlighted the impact of oil wells on residents, particularly in low-income and communities of color. Yaroslavsky said that living near oil wells dramatically increases the risks of asthma, cancer and respiratory issues. In pregnant women, it also increases the risk of premature labor by 40%, she added.
“Recent court decisions may have misinterpreted the authority of local governments, but these new laws make it clear: We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our neighborhoods and end oil drilling in Los Angeles for good,” Yaroslavsky said.
Councilman Paul Krekorian, who spearheaded efforts on the ban of new oil and gas production, said a half-million Angelenos live within a quarter-mile of an active oil or gas drilling site. He commended Newsom’s actions as well.
“… We intend to continue our aggressive efforts to protect Angelenos from the hazards of fossil fuel extraction in densely populated areas. I commend the governor for his courage and vision in taking this action today,” Krekorian said in a statement.