Newsom signs bills cracking down on pollution from oil, gas production near communities
LADERA HEIGHTS, Calif. -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed several bills into law designed to help local communities crack down on pollution from oil and gas production.
The new laws are expected to impact oil operations in Baldwin Hills among other communities around Southern California and statewide.
Newsom spoke at the Kenneth Hahn soccer fields in Ladera Heights, where wells associated with the Inglewood Oil Field were humming in the background.
The Inglewood field, first opened a century ago, has produced some 400 million barrels of oil - around 2-3 million per year over the last decade - according to the operation's corporate website. But there have been local efforts to shut it down completely because of impacts to the local community, even as production has gradually diminished over the years.
"People are living, going to school, working, having recreation experiences in proximity that has caused multigenerational harm," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell. "And those days are coming to an end - and that makes me very proud."
"It's our responsibility as the home of the largest urban oil field in the nation to lead by example in creating an equitable path for phasing out oil drilling."
The oil and gas bills signed by Newsom are outlined here.
They give local communities more power to shut down wells that are low-producing and idle yet continue to pollute neighborhoods.
"We're once again empowering local communities to go further than the state itself as it relates to your own health and safety," Newsom said.
The oil industry argues, however, that the measures will penalize drivers at the pump.
Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president of the Western States Petroleum Association, said the laws Newsom signed Wednesday would "pile on mandates and drive up costs for Californians."
"These new laws do nothing to produce more oil here at home and, in fact, cost jobs while forcing us to bring in more oil from overseas," she said in a statement. "While the governor cannot stop demonizing our industry, the truth is we prioritize community and worker safety too."
Two years ago the Los Angeles City Council essentially sought to ban oil drilling in the city by adopting an ordinance deeming all existing oil drilling sites within the city legally nonconforming land use. A court prevented enforcement of the ordinance but the bills signed by the governor should restore the city's right to stop drilling.
Los Angeles County has also made similar efforts that have faced challenges.
"When the county declared oil a nonconforming land use and when the city of Los Angeles declared oil a nonconforming land use - that can now move forward, given that there was a court decision that basically pre-empted cities and counties from taking action to protect their communities," said Martha Arguello, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles.
One of the new laws Newsom signed requires the state to fine companies $10,000 a month for operating low-producing oil wells near the Inglewood Oil Field. The money will go into an account to fund local projects such as creating parks and affordable housing. The law requires companies to close and seal all wells at the site by Dec. 31, 2030.
"The Inglewood Oil Field is the largest urban oil field in our State." said Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat who represents the city and authored the bill. "Its production in recent years has been marginal, but for decades the negative health impacts surrounding it have cost the nearby community with their life expectancy."
The bills also prioritize the plugging of idle wells. The governor said getting tough on oil drilling in the backyards of communities like this one is long overdue.
"I look forward to working in partnership with all of you to advance the promise of these three bills and the promise that we're promoting in this second special session in California," Newsom said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
