March 21, 2023 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Los Angeles Bans Fracking

fracking
Los Angeles moves to ban fracking. (Thinkstock)

Los Angeles has become the largest city in the United States to actively take a stand against the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, as the City Council unanimously approved Feb. 28 to take a moratorium on the unique practice to draw more oil out of the ground.

The 10 to 0 vote means the City Attorney’s office and Planning Dept. will take draft an ordinance amending Los Angeles’ zoning code to prohibit fracking until the practice can be properly regulated at the local, state, and federal levels.

Friday morning’s vote was met with heavy applause and cheers by a large contingent of anti-fracking activists and supports sitting in the council chamber’s gallery.

“I think we all can agree unregulated fracking is crazy. It’s time to stop this crazy practice,” Councilman Paul Koretz, who was one of the authors of the motion proposing a fracking moratorium, told his colleagues. “Fracking related earthquakes are taking place … in states that normally don’t have earthquakes.”

The motion’s co-author, Councilman Mike Bonin said it makes no sense to allow unregulated fracking to continue.

“This does not meet any test of common sense or public safety,” Bonin told council members.

A major talking point in the campaign to regulate fracking in Los Angeles: drinking water.

Bonin and Koretz stated in their motion the local drinking water supply is negatively affected by unregulated fracking.

“We’re also turning millions and millions of gallons of clean water into toxic waste. We’re seeing it up close in our neighborhoods,” Koretz told council members, adding greater number of people who live near wells are experiencing increased physical ailments due to water possibly contaminated from fracking-related activities.

The motion presented by Bonin and Koretz proposes the ban or moratorium on fracking remain in place until the City Council greater governmental oversight and regulation is in effect.

According to Bonin’s and Koretz’s motion, fracking “is an oil and natural gas extraction process that involves very highly-pressurized injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids containing a mixture of water, sand and unreported amounts of unknown chemicals into underground geological formations.”

The intent of the injection is to fracture the rock and, ultimately, increase the amount of oil or gas that could be extracted from a well.

With the vote, the City Attorney is expected to draft an ordinance officially placing a moratorium on fracking until the City Council is satisfied with the amount of governmental oversight and regulation in place.

Koretz represents the council’s fifth district, which includes Bel Air, Century City, Cheviot Hills, Palms, and Westwood; Bonin’s eleventh council district covers Brentwood, Mar Vista, Marina Del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Venice, West Los Angeles, Westchester, and the LAX area, among other communities.

Related Posts

Senior Living Facility and Managers Charged in Connection to 14 COVID-Related Deaths in Los Angeles

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Managers are accused of not following accepted clinical standards and not taking appropriate steps to quarantine the new resident or...

LAUSD Families Brace for 3-Day Strike

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

Union representing workers, including custodians, cafeteria workers, teacher assistants and other support staff have voted to walk off the job...

LAPD Investigates Shooting in Palms After Man Found Murdered

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

Andrew Conaway arrested in connection to March 16 shooting The Los Angeles Police Department’s West Bureau Homicide Detectives are investigating...

Man Rescued After Falling Into Well at Hyperion Water Plant

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

Man falls into roughly 20 foot well Thursday  LAFD reports rescuing a 32-year-old man who fell into a well at...

Helio Seeks Approval for New Multifamily Development in Palms

March 19, 2023

March 19, 2023

Helio, a Los Angeles-based real estate development firm, has submitted an application for a new multifamily residential building at 3734...

Fox Studio Lot Set for Major $1.5 Billion Upgrade That Will Change the Westside’s Skyline

March 18, 2023

March 18, 2023

Construction could begin in a few years, following the entitlement process. By Sam Catanzaro Fox Studio Lot, one of Hollywood’s...

Pension Fund of Los Angeles Water and Power Plans to Invest Up to $500M in Real Estate in 2023

March 18, 2023

March 18, 2023

Pension fund in 2022 committed $850 million to new real estate investments Los Angeles Water and Power Employees is reportedly...

Reward up to $50,000 for Info on Fatal Venice Boulevard Collision

March 17, 2023

March 17, 2023

LAPD investigates February 26 incident  According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), on February 26, 2023, around 1:17 a.m.,...

Are You Staying on the Westside Over the Summer?

March 17, 2023

March 17, 2023

Spring is officially here, which means summer is just around the corner. Westside residents, what are your travel plans this...

City Council Calls for Analysis on Mental Health and Domestic Violence Calls

March 17, 2023

March 17, 2023

The proposed report will consider the current capacity and response times for the Mental Evaluation Unit and Domestic Abuse Response...

Erewhon Opening in Culver City as Part 10-Store Expansion

March 16, 2023

March 16, 2023

14,000 square foot space planned for trendy grocery store at 9300 Culver Boulevard By Dolores Quintana The good news for...

Pie Shop and Cocina Coming to Boardwalk MDR

March 16, 2023

March 16, 2023

Winston Pies, Planta Cocina headed for shopping center By Dolores Quintana Marina Del Rey has two new restaurants to look...

LA City Council Committee Approves Motion to Study Fee for Sidewalk Vending Permit

March 16, 2023

March 16, 2023

The Los Angeles City Council’s Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee approved a motion Wednesday calling for a study of the...

MadLab Coffee Set to Expand This Spring With Three New Outposts in Historic Pico Corridor, South Culver, and Westfield Topanga

March 16, 2023

March 16, 2023

MadLab Coffee is set to expand this spring with the opening of three new outposts in the historic Pico Corridor,...

Baristas at Two La Colombe Locations Vote to Unionize for Better Wages, Improved Working Conditions

March 15, 2023

March 15, 2023

Two other locations in Beverly Hills and Frogtown remain uninvolved in this unionizing effort Baristas at two La Colombe locations...