Proposed California bills would protect residents in mostly low-income communities of color by speeding cleanup of dangerous neighborhood oil wells. But industry is fighting to keep even idle wells unplugged.
The Murphy Site, which taps the La Cienegas Oil Field, is located in Jefferson Park, a neighborhood composed mostly of Black and Latino residents. Those living near the site display "significantly higher prevalence of wheezing, eye and nose irritation and dizziness" as well as reduced lung capacity. The site is not owned by an energy company, though, but by the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.