On Oct 18, 2021, the Culver City Council will offer a public hearing on the proposed ordinance to end oil drilling in Culver City at a special City Council meeting starting at 6 pm.
The decision to use the legal standard of ‘non-conforming use’ to reclassify oil wells that were approved before nearby residences were built was given a green light by the council in August of 2020. Subsequently, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also voted to end drilling in the county in September of 2021, beginning a legal end to all oil and gas production at the Inglewood Oil Field, the largest urban oil production site in the country.
From the the ordinance, “Evidence has emerged through studies and analyses as to the heightened health and safety risks attributable to oil use activities in urbanized areas and the threats to the environment from such uses.”
With the end date for oil production in the ordinance currently set for Nov. 24, 2026, this would leave five years for closing down the Culver City portion of the field, and a time frame to begin mitigation on clean-up responsibilities. Discussion might also touch on how the county’s decision could have a positive financial impact on the city in their process with closing it all down.
Judith Martin-Straw
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