Los Angeles council gives final approval to a ban on new oil wells and a 20-year phase-out of existing ones

The Los Angeles City Council voted 13 to 0, with two members absent, on 28 October 2026 to give final approval to a citywide ban on new oil wells. The ordinance also phases out existing wells within 20 years. Councilmember Adrin Nazarian said 759 active wells sit just steps from homes, churches, parks and hospitals. The city adopted an earlier phase-out in 2022. Oil companies sued, arguing that only the state could regulate drilling, and a court struck it down in 2024. Later in 2024 California enacted AB 3233, which supporters say reaffirms local authority over oil and gas operations. Oil companies say they will challenge the new ban as a taking of private property without compensation.

The case turns on who holds the power to act and who pays. AB 3233 has not yet been tested in court against a full municipal phase-out, so Los Angeles is now the test case. A successful compensation claim could make phase-outs costly for other California cities and counties that follow.