2014 - present: Community Taking Action!
Acid Trucks Arrive with No Notification
There were two maintenance acidization jobs on July 14 and 21, 2014 (See the AQMD section for more information).
However, there were an additional two jobs in September and October that were done on injection wells, so FMOG did not submit an AQMD notification. This means we were unable to know ahead of time that an acidization job was going to happen, and we do not have chemical information on what was brought into the site during these two events.
What we do know is that 4 tanker trucks, each with a capacity of 5,000 gallons, came onto the site. Subsequently, plants on the northwest corner of the site simultaneously died.
However, there were an additional two jobs in September and October that were done on injection wells, so FMOG did not submit an AQMD notification. This means we were unable to know ahead of time that an acidization job was going to happen, and we do not have chemical information on what was brought into the site during these two events.
What we do know is that 4 tanker trucks, each with a capacity of 5,000 gallons, came onto the site. Subsequently, plants on the northwest corner of the site simultaneously died.
Photos from October 3, 2014
Public Hearing for ZA-17528-PA4, November 25, 2014
On Tuesday, November 25, 2014, a large group of community members were at City Hall asking the Zoning Administrator (ZA) and our local elected leaders to start enforcing the law to protect children and families in our community from an oil company’s dangerous air toxins. The oil company, Freeport McMoRan Oil and Gas (FMOG) was requesting permission to re-drill 2 oil wells and 1 new oil well at the Jefferson Drilling Site. The room was filled to overflowing, which took the city officials and the oil company representatives by surprise. A stream of residents came forward to offer moving and compelling testimony. Even people from outside the neighborhood remarked on what an awesome community we have.
At the hearing’s end, our councilman asked us to negotiate terms of a settlement with the oil company. The ZA is leaving the case open until January 5, 2015, and no decision will be made until then. |
Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling (STAND-LA)
Around the time we had the November 2014 hearing, Redeemer Community Partnership was part of the founding members of an environmental justice coalition, Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling - Los Angeles. STAND-L.A. is an environmental justice coalition of community groups that seek to end neighborhood drilling to protect the health and safety of Angelenos on the front lines of urban oil extraction. |
Continued Community Action and Engagement
In 2015, we had several opportunities and events for community engagement and advocacy. Read all about them!
- April - Pop Up Protest: Community Stands Together Against Neighborhood Drilling
- July - Summer Kids' Program: Kids Advocacy Day
- November - Youth Press Conference: Lawsuit against the City of LA for Environmental Injustice
- November - AQMD call in protest: Communal Phone-In Protest
Elevating the issue in the City of LA
Press Coverage
Since the end of 2014, we have had substantial press coverage, elevating the issue of neighborhood drilling. At least 45 news articles have come out from major news outlets highlighting the issues at the Jefferson Drill Site. |
Continued site monitoring and community education
We continue to connect with neighbors and monitor activity at the site.