PLUM panel adopts motions to tighten oil-well maintenance rules and align housing streamlining with ED‑1

The Los Angeles City Council Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee voted to adopt motions addressing affordable housing streamlining and operations at active and abandoned oil wells, including a motion to move forward on an interim approach to limit or regulate acid “asset maintenance” at wells and amendments to align a housing streamlining ordinance with Executive Directive 1.

The committee approved the package of motions for items 3, 5, 7 and 8 (and item 10) on a 4-0 vote, and later approved a separate related motion on single-stair changes (item 4). The adopted amendments instruct City Planning to update the proposed affordable housing streamlining ordinance to align regulations with the most recent Executive Directive 1 (ED‑1, dated 07/01/2024), to reflect citywide regulations adopted since the Planning Commission transmitted the ordinance in November 2023 (including the Citywide Housing Incentive Program and the Resident Protections Ordinance), and to incorporate the ordinance into the new zoning code (Chapter 1A) in consultation with the City Attorney.

A further instruction adopted by the committee directs the Planning and Housing departments, in consultation with the City Attorney, to develop and implement guidelines ensuring ED‑1 projects comply with the principles of Assembly Bill 686 (as identified in the motion). An amendment from Councilmember Hugo Hernandez requires a 90-day report back on item 8 and asks departments to report on the impact of recent state and local streamlining tools (ED‑1, State Density Bonus, and CHIP) when projects are in close proximity to active, plugged or abandoned oil wells.

The committee’s action followed extensive public testimony about health and safety concerns near oil production sites. Speakers representing Sunrise Movement, Communities for a Better Environment, Black Women for Wellness and the Stand LA coalition described long-term health impacts from living near oil wells and brownfields and urged the committee to move items 3, 5 and 8 forward with amendments. Tyler Earl of Communities for a Better Environment said operators pump "highly corrosive chemicals, like hydrofluoric acid..." into the ground and urged passage of item 5. Dr. Zoe Conliff of Black Women for Wellness told the committee the city has received 32 notices of acid maintenance since the city’s phase‑out ordinance was overturned, arguing this demonstrates urgency to limit such operations.

Industry speakers urged caution. Matt Richersham of E&B Natural Resources told the committee that "well clean outs are a routine maintenance activity" required to comply with federal underground injection control rules and opposed an interim control ordinance that would prohibit such maintenance. Counsel for Warren requested more robust public outreach and consultation with the industry, saying the city had committed to public engagement in a settlement process.

Committee members instructed staff to return revised ordinance language and technical code changes for further review and to coordinate with the City Attorney on implementation steps. The motions adopted do not themselves change building or zoning code language; they direct departments to prepare and transmit revised Chapter 1 and Chapter 1A ordinances for council consideration and to develop implementation guidelines for ED‑1 projects.

Actions noted in the committee record: the PLUM Committee adopted motions for items 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10 (items 1 and 2 were continued). Item 5—concerning interim controls on acid asset maintenance—was adopted as part of the package. The committee separately approved the associated amendments described above and directed a 90-day report back where specified.

The committee’s next steps are for Planning, Housing and the City Attorney to prepare ordinance language and implementation guidelines consistent with the committee’s instructions; those documents will be transmitted to the full City Council for consideration.