Los Angeles becomes the largest US city to ban oil drilling and phase out extraction

After years of campaigning by residents and legal battles, Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance on October 28, 2026, that immediately halts new oil extraction and bans redrilling or deepening of wells. Existing operations must phase out over 20 years. LA is the largest US city to ban oil drilling, affecting hundreds of active wells and thousands of inactive ones, many in working-class communities of color.

The ordinance applies to LA City proper, not all of greater Los Angeles. The oil industry has challenged it as an unlawful taking of private property.