Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Geneva EB Thompson, gthompson@wishtoyo.org
Maya Golden-Krasner, mgoldenkrasner@biologicaldiversity.org
Culver City, CA -- Last night, in response to public pressure to protect communities from the dangers of neighborhood oil drilling, the Culver City Council voted unanimously to begin the process to study the phase-out of oil drilling in the Inglewood Oil Field.
This is the largest urban oil field in the United States, with 10% of the oil field within Culver City’s borders. The City Council has long been engaged in a planning process that included a proposal to expand drilling by 30 new wells. At last night’s meeting, community members urged the city to protect the community’s health and environment, and the council responded with a unanimous vote in support of a subcommittee recommendation to put the existing planning process on hold and instead begin to study a phase-out of the oil field.
“The result of last night’s vote is a testament to the power of communities fighting back against the interests of corporate polluters that threaten their health and safety,” said Monica Embrey, Senior Campaign Representative with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign. “We applaud the City Council for this important step towards protecting Culver City residents from the dangers of neighborhood oil drilling.”
“The city councilmembers took a bold step to protect the people of Culver City from dirty and dangerous oil drilling,” said Maya Golden-Krasner, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Culver City is showing what it looks like to put public health and safety above oil industry profits. I hope Governor Brown is watching.”
"During yesterday's discussion the City Council expressed their understanding of the importance of respecting the Tongva nations and their cultural resources located in and near the Inglewood Oil Field," said Geneva EB Thompson, staff attorney at the Wishtoyo Foundation. "Culver City's commitment to re-initiating government-to-government consultation with Tongva nations interested in the project shows the City's willingness to do what's right."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.