Los Angeles to ban all new oil wells and phase out existing ones

Environmental activists have argued that the operation of the wells primarily affects "black, Latinx, and other communities of color" who live near the oil wells.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles city council voted on Friday to ban new oil wells and phase out all existing ones, a move that signals the end of the city's long history with the petroleum industry.

The council voted 12-0 to immediately ban all new oil and gas extraction while giving all existing wells 20 years to cease production, the Los Angeles Times reported.



At a time when there is an increasing reliance on foreign oil from nefarious regimes, this announcement comes as a blow to the California Independent Petroleum Association, a trade group representing over 300 independent crude oil and natural gas producers, who have argued that the environmental consequences of oil production are minimal compared to that of the increased oil tanker traffic that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will see.

"The South Coast Air Quality Management District has identified oil tankers as one of the major sources of air pollution in the LA Basin," the group said in a letter to the city council, disputing claims of "detrimental health effects" from oil and gas drilling and production operations.

The ban will also put a massive dent in the city's finances, amounting to an estimated revenue loss of around $250 million.

Environmental activists have argued that the operation of the wells primarily affects "black, Latinx, and other communities of color" who live near the oil wells.

"Our city and this council must own up to the anti-Blackness that created policies that allowed oil drilling in neighborhoods in the first place," a group of community groups that spearheaded the law said.

Californians spent a decent amount of September under the threat of rolling blackouts and power shortage warnings while the state wrestled with a heat wave that caused energy demand to surpass an energy supply heavily reliant on renewable sources.

At several points, Californians were even told to avoid charging their electric cars, just days after announcing a ban on the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035.

The California Energy Commission has predicted widespread power outages in the state of California for the next five years at the minimum, all the while the state tries to push electric vehicles and shut down other sources of energy, actions that would further strain an aging power grid.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information