Cárdenas Highlights $61.4M for California to Clean Up Orphaned Oil Wells

Press Release

Today Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior has made $61.4 million available from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up orphaned oil wells in California, including Los Angeles. The announcement comes after the Los Angeles City Council voted to pass a measure by Council President Nury Martinez to ban the creation of new wells and phase out existing wells over the next 20 years. The funding, which will be distributed by the California Natural Resources Agency, may help the City of Los Angeles as they work to plug and clean up wells.

"For far too long, legacy pollution has disproportionately impacted the health and safety of our low income and communities of color," said Congressman Cárdenas. "The bottom is no one should have to live with the daily threat of polluted air and water from abandoned and orphaned oil wells. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us clean up these wells, protect our communities, create jobs and advance environmental justice. Combined with the City's efforts, the $61.4 million made available to California will help ensure families can live, work and go to school without the constant threat of toxic air pollution from orphaned wells."

"Our City is always proud to partner with the federal government when it comes to improving quality of life for Angelenos, especially our most vulnerable communities," said LA City Council President Nury Martinez. "I'm proud to have a partner like Congressman Cárdenas, a fellow San Fernando Valley resident, in this fight for environmental justice. The problem is just too big for us to tackle alone and this funding will help us reach our goal of shutting down and rehabilitating oil wells in Los Angeles much faster."

Los Angeles has been called the largest urban oil field in the country. According to a 2016 report from the California Department of Conservation, there are 5,131 known oil and gas wells in the City of Los Angeles. Of those, 825 are active, 287 are idle or at risk of being orphaned, 926 are orphaned and 3,093 are plugged.

Orphaned wells pollute backyards, recreation areas and public spaces. Studies have shown that families who live near oil and gas wells are regularly exposed to harmful pollution and are at a greater risk of preterm births, asthma, respiratory disease and cancer. Living near oil wells has also been linked to reduced lung function and wheezing. In some cases, the respiratory damage was similar to the damage from daily exposure to secondhand smoke or living beside a freeway.

The historic investments to clean up these hazardous orphaned wells will create good-paying jobs, catalyze economic growth and revitalization and reduce dangerous methane leaks. It will also help California better track oil and gas wells throughout the state.

The funding announced is the first phase of the $4.7 billion allocation for orphaned oil and gas wells in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In addition to the $61.4 million made available, California will have additional opportunities to apply for formula and performance-based funding opportunities in the future.

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