A pipeline leaked more than 1,600 gallons of oil this month at the Inglewood Oil Field, the largest urban oil field in the country, when a valve was left open.
The spill, located near Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, occurred at 8:10 a.m. April 6. The Inglewood Oil Field spans about 1,000 acres around Culver City, Baldwin Hills and neighboring communities.
E & B Natural Resources, the company which operates the pipeline, touts environmental protection on its website, saying “The environment in which we operate is respected at all times. We employ modern technology and a well-trained workforce to eliminate discharges, reduce waste, use materials efficiently, and encourage recycling in all our operations. We protect the flora and fauna in and around our field operations.
E & B is handling the cleanup.
Mario Tresierras, chief of the L.A. County Fire Department’s Health Hazardous Materials Division, said that his team observed the cleanup and that the spill hadn’t warranted an evacuation or notification to residents.
According to a report by City Controller Ron Galperin, The history of Los Angeles is linked to the discovery and rise of oil and gas drilling. As of April 2018, there were about 5,000 known wells within City borders – about one-fifth of which are active or idle.
The objective of Galperin’s review was to “identify areas of opportunity where the city can improve its oversight of oil and gas drilling sites as it moves toward developing a modern and centralized framework.”
The Office of Petroleum and Natural Gas Administration and Safety is within the city’s Board of Public Works and the administrator’s role is to oversee an office which manages drilling leases and assumes duties related to the city’s franchise agreements with drilling agencies.
The L.A. City Council is considering a motion to study phasing out oil drilling citywide.
