Oil companies with operations in the city of Los Angeles are suing over an ordinance that seeks to phase out drilling within city limits due to public health and environmental concerns.
“An oil company with a drilling operation in Wilmington filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the city of Los Angeles over a sweeping new law that will phase out oil production,” reports Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times.
“The city’s ban will lead to more oil imports, causing increased emissions from trucks and oil tankers that arrive to the L.A. area, according to the lawsuit. “The lawsuit contends the city’s actions are a violation of the California Environmental Quality Act, the city’s General Plan and the state and federal constitutions. The suit also questions the city’s analysis of the health impacts of conducting plugging and abandonment operations.” The company claims that “its operations are ‘100% electric’ and the emissions ‘are the equivalent of a physically much smaller fast-food restaurant with a drive thru.’”
A separate lawsuit alleging similar claims was filed by four other oil entities, Smith notes.
Environmental justice advocates praised the city’s plan to phase out oil production, citing evidence that oil operations near residential areas can cause cancer, asthma, and other health problems. The ordinance was adopted unanimously by the city council last month.
Read the full story: Oil companies sue L.A. over ban on drilling
Los Angeles To Phase Out Oil Drilling
The city has banned new wells and will end all extraction within two decades.
California Seals 21 Urban Oil Wells in South LA After Decades of Activism
The permanent closure of a long-troubled South Los Angeles oil site marks a hard-fought victory for residents and underscores the growing urgency of addressing hazardous idle wells in communities nationwide.
Tracking the Invisible: Methane Leaks From LA’s Neighborhood Oil Sites
Environmental advocates are using infrared technology to monitor and document methane leaks from neighborhood oil sites, filling regulatory gaps and pushing for stronger protections to safeguard community health and the climate.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago Avenue bridge construction delays enrages city leaders
The bridge has been closed since 2025. The city originally aimed to re-open it in December, and now expects to finish construction in 2027.
NYC bus network redesign speeds up Queens buses
Rush routes have seen a 4.6% speed increase after the redesign.
California High-Speed Rail Authority picks trainset manufacturer
The California High-Speed Rail Authority aims to start servicing passengers by 2033.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority