City Council

(25) 24-0919 CONTINUED CONSIDERATION OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT and PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES’ REPORT relative to approving a fee study and proposed amendments to adjust bond requirements for oil wells, and collect penalties for violations committed by oil well operators, and related matters. Recommendations for Council action: 1. INSTRUCT the City Administrative Officer (CAO) and Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA), in coordination with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and Office of Finance, to: a. Conduct a review of the LAFD fee study analysis to determine whether it is adequate and feasible. b. Provide a recommendation on appropriate bonding levels, including consideration of a tiered system for more complex wells if possible, and discuss other alternative funding mechanisms for addressing orphaned wells. 2. REQUEST the City Attorney to provide a report on how the City Council can provide direction to both the LAFD and the Department of City Planning to require that any well that has been idle for more than one year to be terminated and ordered to be plugged and abandoned. a. Include any proposed draft ordinance for Council consideration as appropriate. Include in this report an analysis of state law and whether or not they supersede our ability to enforce on the closure of idle wells and how effective they have been at closing idle wells. 3. REQUEST that the report be completed and returned to any committee in no more than 60 days. Fiscal Impact Statement: None submitted by the Board of Fire Commissioners. Neither the CAO nor the CLA has completed a financial analysis of the report.