Oil and gas drilling in Los Angeles began in 1892 and has not stopped since. This region is home to 26 oil and gas fields, and particularly at the beginning, the oil was close to the surface and easy to extract. In many ways, the city grew around these oil and gas sites which means that in the present day, oil drilling occurs in neighborhoods near people’s homes.

Today, approximately ⅓ of Los Angeles County residents live less than a mile from an active drilling site. While many Angelenos live near oil sites, low-income residents and residents of color in South Los Angeles and Wilmington experience the worst health impacts of living near oil drilling because the sites in their neighborhoods are often closer to their homes and have fewer safety protections than sites in other parts of the city. Urban oil drilling in Los Angeles is an environmental injustice that harms the health and well-being of residents.

RESEARCH

LAS VOCES

The Las Voces research study is a collaborative effort between Occidental College, the University of Southern California, and Redeemer Community Partnership. The study has and will continue to utilize a participatory research strategy in which the design of the study, the recruitment of participants, and the collection of data will be accomplished through engaging with community members and organizations. Very few epidemiological studies have been published on the effects of urban oil drilling and this research aims to fill the gap of how the health of residents, specifically their respiratory function, is impacted by living near oil drilling.

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urban oil drilling
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In particular, this study focuses on highly environmentally burdened frontline communities in South Los Angeles living near four different oil sites who are predominantly low-income African-American and Latinx families, many primarily Spanish speakers. This study will also examine the air quality and air pollutants near the sites and interview stakeholders to discuss conceptions of risk perception. The project will take five years to complete and the team is currently finalizing plans before beginning data collection.