Mayor Karen Bass and U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, center front row, met with the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission on May 17 during Haaland’s visit to Los Angeles. (photo courtesy of Mayor Karen Bass’ office)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland recently announced more than $35 million in funding through President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda to continue reclaiming and restoring orphaned oil and gas wells, including many wells in Los Angeles. With the new funding, the state of California plans to plug and remediate more than 200 orphaned oil wells and decommission more than 40 attendant production facilities.

“This is an issue of environmental justice,” Bass said. “We are locking arms across the city, state and federal governments to continue our work to end neighborhood oil drilling in the city of Los Angeles to protect the health of Angelenos and advance our vision of environmental justice. Thank you, Secretary Haaland, President Biden and Vice President Harris and our partners at the state for the work that you’ve done to allow us to be here.”

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is creating jobs and revitalizing local economies while cleaning up harmful legacy pollution sites throughout the country,” Haaland said. “I’ve seen firsthand, including right here in Los Angeles, the urgent need to address these hazardous sites, many of which are actively leaking oil and releasing methane gas. With this historic funding, states like California are making significant progress in plugging wells and protecting communities. These investments are good for our climate, for the health of our communities and for American workers.”