The signed legislation grants local communities more authority to restrict oil and gas operations near sensitive areas and address the environmental risks of idle wells, while also ensuring the permanent shutdown of low-production wells.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed three new laws aimed at restricting oil and gas operations near schools, daycares, and residential communities. These laws grant local governments the authority to limit or ban oil and gas activities within their jurisdictions, empowering cities and counties to protect vulnerable populations from the harmful effects of industrial operations. This legislation also addresses previous legal challenges that had blocked local ordinances, allowing communities to move forward with stronger protections.
In addition to granting local control, the new laws tackle the environmental risks posed by idle oil and gas wells. These wells, often left unattended and unsealed, present a danger to surrounding neighborhoods. The legislation increases fees on idle wells and requires oil companies to decommission them more quickly, preventing potential leaks and contamination. This proactive approach is intended to hold oil companies accountable for the maintenance and safe closure of wells across the state.
One of the laws specifically targets the Inglewood Oil Field, California’s largest urban oil field, where low-production wells will now be shut down permanently. Companies operating these wells will face monthly fines until the wells are plugged and abandoned, with the penalty funds allocated to community improvement projects like parks. These laws are part of California’s broader strategy to reduce pollution and safeguard public health, while holding the oil industry accountable for its impact on local communities.
Addressing Orphan Wells for Environmental Justice
Remediating and repurposing some orphan oil and gas wells into parks can turn environmental hazards into community assets, promoting health, environmental justice, and accessible green space for underserved areas.
Healing the Land: Collaborative Effort to Reclaim Orphan Well Sites
The Well Done Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are partnering to plug over 110 orphan wells across four National Wildlife Refuges, restoring habitats, protecting ecosystems, and reducing methane emissions.
Silent Threat: America’s Abandoned Oil Wells and the Danger Beneath
Abandoned oil and gas wells across the U.S. pose significant environmental, health, and safety risks, with many leaking hazardous gases and chemicals, highlighting regulatory failures and the immense financial burden of remediation.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research