Governor Gavin Newsom announced that all 21 oil wells at the AllenCo site in University Park, Los Angeles, have been permanently plugged and sealed.
The development follows years of violations tied to the site and longstanding environmental and health concerns raised by nearby residents.
State officials described the closure as a milestone for the Los Angeles community and part of California’s broader effort to plug and remediate abandoned and high-risk oil wells.
The project is overseen by the California Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) and is supported by state and federal funding.
In a statement, Newsom called the sealing of the wells a “monumental achievement for the community”.
For years, residents living near the South Central Los Angeles facility reported foul odors, poor air quality, and health symptoms they linked to the site’s operations.
The facility is located in a densely populated neighborhood near homes, schools, and hospitals, raising concerns about potential health and safety risks.
“The plugging of these 21 abandoned oil wells turns the page on decades of neglect and stalling tactics by this company,” said Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency.
The sealing of the wells reflects California’s broader push to hold operators accountable and address environmental damage left behind by aging oil sites.
Through its abandoned well program, the department identifies aging wells that pose threats to nearby communities and the environment and works to permanently seal them to eliminate ongoing safety and pollution risks.
Since August 2018, an interagency group led by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has met regularly with CalGEM, community representatives, and other stakeholders to review inspection results at the AllenCo facility.
CalGEM conducted a statewide inventory to identify the most dangerous sites, and AllenCo was placed among the top risky sites.
Through January 2025, California has plugged nearly 300 abandoned wells statewide, sealing more than one million feet underground and reducing ongoing risks to groundwater, air quality, and public safety.
The legal battle surrounding AllenCo dates back to 2014, when the City of Los Angeles filed a civil enforcement action alleging repeated violations of oil, gas, and environmental protection laws.
A final judgment required the company to demonstrate compliance with state regulations and obtain approval before resuming operations.
Despite these requirements, compliance issues continued. In March 2020, the state Oil and Gas Supervisor issued Order 1174 directing AllenCo to plug and abandon the 21 wells at its Saint James drill site.
In 2022, after continued obstruction by the operator, CalGEM secured a court order to enter the site and conduct an inspection. Public safety officers executed the warrant with community representatives present, allowing the state to advance the closure process.
California has also enacted policy changes aimed at strengthening oversight of oil and gas operations. SB 237 integrates public health and environmental protections into regulatory processes, and SB 1137 establishes 3,200-foot health protection zones around new oil and gas wells to shield homes, schools, hospitals, and parks from harmful pollution.
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