Support Provided By In Ruth Andrade’s South Los Angeles neighborhood, oil derricks and pump jacks seen from backyards or apartment windows are a fact of life. For years, Andrade and her neighbors who live in the craftsman homes and apartments that sit close to such properties didn’t know why there was a smell of rotten eggs in the air. It was unclear why children suffered nose bleeds, and teenagers and parents complained of headaches. When Andrade learned that the chemicals used to draw oil from deep down into the earth could be harmful, she was told it was too hard to fight those responsible. Los Angeles is the second-largest oil-producing county in California, but it’s first when it comes to urban drilling. More than 5,000 wells sit in the city of Los Angeles alone. About a fifth of those are either active or idle. Big Oil companies that extract petroleum on just a few acres of land in densely populated neighborhoods of the city produce more than just product. They also offer much-needed jobs, she was warned.