L.A. weighs rare permit revocation for active oil site in Jefferson Park

In a city with over 2,000 active oil wells, Los Angeles is considering the rare closure of an operational oil site in Jefferson Park. The Murphy drill site, operated by Bakersfield-based E&B Natural Resources and owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, has drawn years of community pushback due to repeated air pollution violations and health concerns.

Rev. Eddie Anderson, who lived near the site with his wife, reported worsening asthma, two miscarriages, and his dog’s cancer, prompting him to relocate in 2024. He and neighbors documented odor complaints, off-hours operations, and methane leaks. Since E&B took over in 2019, regulators have issued 54 violation notices and 19 additional advisories from state and city agencies.

E&B contends the site complies with regulations and cited an independent study finding no conclusive evidence of health impacts. Yet USC research links proximity to the site with reduced lung function and elevated levels of toxic metals in residents. With momentum building for phasing out oil in L.A., the city’s zoning administrator is now weighing permit revocation, a precedent-setting move as the city pursues its second attempt to ban new drilling and retire existing wells over two decades.