Barbara Hensleigh

A PUMPJACK IN L.A.’S WILMINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD. ACROSS CALIFORNIA, MORE THAN 5 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE NEAR AN OIL OR GAS WELL, TWO-THIRDS OF WHOM ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. PHOTO BY NACHO CORBELLA Los Angeles is the largest urban oil field in the country. There are about 5,000 oil and gas wells in our backyards. Some are actively pumping oil, others are sitting idle, and others yet have been deserted by their operator, but all are emitting toxic pollutants into our air, water and soil.

Los Angeles is home to the Inglewood Oil Field, the largest urban oil field in the country. About 500,000 people in LA County live less than half a mile from an active oil well. We know oil and gas pollution are fueling global climate chaos and a local public health crisis. Unfortunately, we are now learning that those same airborne pollutants increase our risk of complications from COVID-19.

The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club welcomes your participation in its century of involvement in the enjoyment and protection of our planet's environment. The Angeles Chapter spans Los Angeles and Orange Counties in Southern California, with an extensive program of hikes/hiking, national and international travel, local conservation campaigns, political action, and programs for people of all ages. Copyright © Angeles Chapter Sierra Club