Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council readopts oil phase‑out ordinance as advocates press to revoke permits and plug idle wells
Summary
The Council readopted a phase‑out ordinance intended to limit oil drilling within the city; advocates called for revocation of permits at specific sites and for plugging idle wells, citing community health harms and previous violations.
Councilmember K. Yaroslavsky introduced the readoption of the city’s oil phase‑out ordinance, recounting prior votes and state legislative work that clarified municipal authority to regulate and prohibit local oil operations.
Yaroslavsky and supporters credited years of community organizing and thanked staff and partners. He reviewed the legal context that, according to council comments, strengthens cities’ ability to regulate drilling. Several public commenters requested additional steps: revoking specific drilling permits (including the Murphy and Banning sites) and using the city’s authority to plug idle wells.
After discussion and community testimony, the council voted to readopt the ordinance (recorded: 14 AYES). Councilmembers emphasized that readoption is one step and additional enforcement and remediation actions may follow through permitting and planning channels.
Next steps: The ordinance readoption will be followed by implementation work in the Planning Department and enforcement discussions; community advocates asked the council to move quickly on permit revocations and well plugging where violations have occurred.
