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New Oil and Gas Drilling Activities / Extraction Prohibition / Nonconforming Use / Environmental Clearance / Code Amendment / Ordinance

Council File 17-0447-S2

Under review — the city council is finalizing a revised ban on new oil and gas drilling citywide while letting existing operations wind down. Committees have approved the updated version; it's awaiting the City Attorney's draft ordinance before a full council vote.

Introduced
2022-09-26
Last changed
2026-06-18
Status
open
Expires
2028-06-09
Committee
Energy and Environment Committee
Initiated by
Los Angeles City Planning Commission
References
Related Council File: 24-1466Case: CPC-2022-4864-CA; CPC-2025-2884-CAEnvironmental: ENV-2022-4865-MND; ENV-2025-2885-MNDCity Attorney Report: R22-0423; R25-0221

Brief

This file tracks a comprehensive oil and gas extraction ordinance initiated by the City Planning Commission in September 2022. The original ordinance prohibited all new oil and gas drilling citywide and classified existing extraction operations as nonconforming uses. City Council adopted it in November 2022 and again in May 2025 (11-0, with 4 abstentions). A May 2025 City Attorney report proposes rescinding the ordinance; that rescission draft is currently pending in the Energy and Environment Committee and Planning and Land Use Management Committee as of June 2026.

Full summary

File 17-0447-S2 tracks a major shift in Los Angeles oil and gas policy that has evolved through two distinct legislative cycles. The core policy goal has remained consistent: amend the Los Angeles Municipal Code to prohibit all new oil and gas extraction in every zone citywide, while allowing existing drilling operations to continue as nonconforming uses — a designation that permits them to keep operating but bars expansion and subjects them to phaseout over time. The ordinance amends multiple sections of both Chapter I and Chapter 1A of the Municipal Code, touching zoning definitions, use classifications, and specific district regulations. The first cycle concluded in late 2022. After the City Planning Commission introduced the proposal in September 2022, it moved through the Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee and the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, both of which approved it as amended. Council adopted it on November 22, 2022, with Councilmembers Mitch O'Farrell and Marqueece Harris-Dawson presenting and seconding the motion. The ordinance took effect January 18, 2023. Neighborhood councils from North Westwood, Downtown Los Angeles, Westside, and United Neighborhoods all submitted community impact statements. A second cycle opened in May 2025 when the City Attorney submitted a report recommending rescission of the original Ordinance No. 187709. Council voted 11-0 on May 23, 2025 to adopt the rescinding ordinance, which became effective July 16, 2025. Concurrently, the City Planning Commission approved a revised and updated version of the oil and gas drilling ordinance on January 6, 2026, with new environmental clearance under a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Program. This revised ordinance covers the same substantive ground — prohibiting new extraction and making existing operations nonconforming — but with fresh CEQA findings addressing potential environmental impacts. The PLUM Committee took up the 2026 revised ordinance on June 9, 2026, voting unanimously (Blumenfield, Hutt, Nazarian, Lee, and Raman all in favor) to adopt the Planning Commission's findings, concur with the environmental clearance, and request the City Attorney to prepare a final draft ordinance for Council consideration. The Energy and Environment Committee waived its review on June 18, 2026, leaving the file pending issuance of that City Attorney draft before it can return to full Council for a vote. North Westwood Neighborhood Council has submitted a community impact statement in support. The file remains open with an expiration date of June 9, 2028.

Activity (43)

  • 2026-06-18 Energy and Environment Committee waived consideration of item .
  • 2026-06-09 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2026-06-09 Planning and Land Use Management Committee transmitted Council File to Energy and Environment Committee.
  • 2026-06-05 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 9, 2026.
  • 2026-01-09 Los Angeles City Planning Commission document(s) referred to Energy and Environment Committee; Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2026-01-08 Document submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, dated January 6, 2026.
  • 2025-08-18 Community Impact Statement submitted by North Westwood Neighborhood Council.
  • 2025-06-06 Ordinance posted/published. Ordinance effective date: July 16, 2025.
  • 2025-06-02 Council action final.
  • 2025-05-23 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is June 2, 2025.
  • 2025-05-23 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2025-05-20 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 23, 2025.
  • 2025-05-19 Energy and Environment Committee waived consideration of item .
  • 2025-05-13 Planning and Land Use Management Committee transmitted Council File to Energy and Environment Committee.
  • 2025-05-13 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2025-05-09 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on May 13, 2025.
  • 2025-05-06 City Attorney document(s) referred to Energy and Environment Committee; Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2025-05-05 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:City Attorney report, dated May 5, 2025, relative to a draft Ordinance rescinding Ordinance No. 187709, which prohibits new oil and gas extraction and makes existing extraction activities a nonconforming use in all zones.
  • 2023-02-18 Community Impact Statement submitted by Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.
  • 2022-12-14 Ordinance posted/published. Ordinance effective date: January 18, 2023.
  • 2022-12-02 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is December 12, 2022.
  • 2022-12-02 Council action final.
  • 2022-12-02 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2022-11-29 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on December 2, 2022.
  • 2022-11-28 Arts, Parks, Health, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee; Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee; Planning and Land Use Management Committee waived consideration of item .
  • 2022-11-28 Department of City Planning document(s) referred to Arts, Parks, Health, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee; Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee; Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2022-11-28 Document(s) submitted by Department of City Planning, as follows:Department of City Planning report, dated November 28, 2022, relative to supplemental information and recommended findings for the Citywide Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance.
  • 2022-11-28 City Attorney document(s) referred to Arts, Parks, Health, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee; Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee; Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2022-11-28 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:City Attorney report R22-0423, dated November 23, 2022, relative to a draft Ordinance amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code to prohibit new oil and gas extraction and make existing extraction activities a nonconforming use in all zones.
  • 2022-11-22 Council action final.
  • 2022-11-22 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2022-11-21 Community Impact Statement submitted by North Westwood Neighborhood Council.
  • 2022-11-18 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on November 22, 2022.
  • 2022-11-01 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved as amended .
  • 2022-10-18 Planning and Land Use Management Committee continued item to November 1, 2022.
  • 2022-10-17 Arts, Parks, Health, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee waived consideration of item .
  • 2022-10-14 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on October 18, 2022.
  • 2022-10-13 Community Impact Statement submitted by Westside Neighborhood Council.
  • 2022-10-06 Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee approved as amended .
  • 2022-10-05 Community Impact Statement submitted by United Neighborhoods Neighborhood Council.
  • 2022-09-30 Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on October 6, 2022.
  • 2022-09-27 Los Angeles City Planning Commission document(s) referred to Arts, Parks, Health, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee; Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee; Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2022-09-26 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows:Los Angeles City Planning Commission report, dated September 26, 2022, relative to a proposed ordinance amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code to prohibit new oil and gas extraction and make existing extraction activities a nonconforming use in all zones.

Documents (68)

Council votes (1)

  • 2025-05-23 Vote — 11-0-4 · Regular

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