The decision invalidates a law that would have eliminated oil drilling in the city over the next 20 years. A proposed state law could still let cities regulate extraction.

A Superior Court judge struck down a Los Angeles law that would have phased out oil drilling in the city, banning new extraction projects and calling for an end to existing operations within the next two decades. The decision came after a group of energy producers sued the city last year. “In his ruling, Kin cited a recent California Supreme Court case involving a Monterey County ballot initiative that barred oil drilling. The court sided with Chevron and other oil companies, ruling that state regulations took precedence over the county ban.”
However, Dakota Smith notes in the Los Angeles Times, “the ruling could be moot if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill allowing cities and counties to reduce or eliminate oil and gas operations.”
Los Angeles and surrounding cities are littered with active and defunct oil wells that contaminate adjacent neighborhoods with harmful carcinogens such as benzene and formaldehyde. The ban was unanimously supported by the City Council when passed in 2022.
FULL STORY: Judge strikes down city of L.A.’s ban on new oil drilling

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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