This article is available in French. Los Angeles has had oil wells in its neighborhoods since the early days of Hollywood, and even today, thousands of active wells are scattered across the city. These wells can release harmful chemicals, like benzene, into the air, often very close to homes, schools, and parks. However, after nearly ten years of community efforts and research showing negative health effects on nearby residents, Los Angeles is approaching the end of its era of urban drilling. On January 24, 2023, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ban new oil and gas extraction and gradually close existing operations. This decision followed a similar vote by the Los Angeles City Council a month earlier. The city set a 20-year period for phasing out existing wells, but the county has not yet set a timeline. As researchers of environmental health, we study the effects of oil drilling on nearby communities. Our studies reveal that those living close to urban oil operations suffer from higher rates of asthma, wheezing, eye irritation, and sore throats than the general population. In some instances, the impact on residents’ lungs is worse than living near a highway or being exposed to secondhand smoke daily.
More than a hundred years ago, Los Angeles’ first booming industry was oil. It was abundant and easily accessible near the surface. In early 20th-century California, few laws controlled mineral extraction, allowing those who could quickly extract oil to claim the rights. This led to rampant drilling across the landscape. By the mid-1920s, Los Angeles was one of the world’s largest oil exporters. Oil rigs were so common in the area that the Los Angeles Times described them in 1930 as “trees in a forest.” Initially, working-class communities supported the industry as it provided jobs, but eventually, they opposed it due to explosions, oil spills, and long-term damage to the land, water, and public health. Disputes over land use, extraction rights, and declining oil prices from overproduction led to restrictions on drilling and companies adopting voluntary “self-regulation,” like noise-reduction technologies, to deter government regulation. Oil companies began concealing their activities by operating inside buildings, building tall walls, and creating islands off Long Beach and other sites to blend in with the surroundings. Oil drilling became hidden in plain sight.
Today, there are over 20,000 active, idle, or abandoned wells across a county with 10 million people. Roughly one-third of the residents live less than a mile from an active well, with some right next door. Since the 2000s, advancements in extraction technology have led to increased oil extraction activities. As extraction in certain neighborhoods has increased, residents of areas like South Los Angeles have reported frequent odors, nosebleeds, and headaches. The city of Los Angeles does not have buffers or setbacks between oil extraction sites and homes. Approximately 75% of active oil or gas wells are located within 1,640 feet (500 meters) of sensitive areas like homes, schools, child care facilities, parks, or senior housing.
Despite over a century of oil drilling in Los Angeles, there has been limited research on its health impacts until recently. Collaborating with community health workers and organizations helped us assess how oil wells affect residents, particularly in historically Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. We started by conducting a survey of 813 neighbors from 203 households near wells in the Las Cienegas oil field, just south and west of downtown. We discovered that asthma was significantly more prevalent among people living near oil wells in South Los Angeles compared to residents in the county overall. Nearly half of the surveyed residents, 45%, were unaware of nearby oil wells, and 63% did not know how to report odors or environmental hazards to local regulatory authorities.
Following this, we measured lung function in 747 long-term residents, aged 10 to 85, living near two drilling sites. Poor lung capacity, evaluated by the volume of air exhaled after a deep breath, and lung strength, assessed by the force of exhalation, serve as indicators of health problems, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular-related deaths, and early mortality. We found that individuals living closer to active or recently idle well sites had poorer lung function, even after accounting for other risk factors like smoking, asthma, and living near a highway. This research indicates a strong connection between living near oil wells and deteriorated lung health. People living up to 0.6 miles (1,000 meters) downwind from a well site had lower lung function on average compared to those living farther away and upwind. The impacts on lung capacity and strength were akin to the effects of living near a freeway or, for women, being exposed to secondhand smoke. We discovered evidence that oil-related pollutants, such as toxic metals like nickel and manganese, are entering the bodies of nearby residents, indicating the presence of contamination in the community.
By utilizing a community monitoring network in South Los Angeles, we could identify oil-related pollution in neighborhoods close to drilling sites. We observed temporary spikes in air pollutants and methane, a potent greenhouse gas, at monitors less than 0.3 miles (500 meters) from oil sites. When production at a site ceased, we recorded significant decreases in toxins like benzene, toluene, and n-hexane in neighboring areas. These chemicals are known irritants, carcinogens, and reproductive toxins associated with dizziness, headaches, fatigue, tremors, and respiratory irritation, including difficulty breathing, and at higher levels, impaired lung function.
Many of the active oil wells in South Los Angeles are located in historically marginalized Black and Hispanic communities. These neighborhoods are often considered the most polluted and vulnerable in the state, dealing with various environmental and social stressors. The city’s 20-year timeline to phase out existing wells raises concerns about the continued health effects during this period. We believe these areas require ongoing attention to reduce existing health impacts, and the city should develop a plan for a fair transition and cleanup of oil fields as these areas are repurposed.