City Planning Commission

8. ZA-2022-8997-ZAI-1A Council District: All\nCEQA: N/A Last Day to Act: N/A\nPlan Area: Citywide\nPUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED\nPROJECT SITE: Citywide\nPROPOSED PROJECT:\nA Zoning Administrator’s Interpretation (ZAI) applicable to all oil/gas well operations in the City of Los\nAngeles, issued by the Chief Zoning Administrator on January 17, 2023, interpreting the meaning of “well\nmaintenance” in the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC), as activities triggering a rework permit from the\nCalifornia Geologic Energy Management Division and/or online notification per South Coast Air Quality\nManagement District Rule 1148.2.\nThe issuance of this ZAI that defines "well maintenance" is not a "project" as that term is defined by CEQA\nGuidelines, Section 15378. However, even if this ZAI is determined to be a project for purposes of CEQA,\nit was evaluated in the Initial Study prepared by the City to support the Mitigated Negative Declaration\nprepared for the Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance (Ordinance 187,709).\nAPPEAL:\nAppeals of the January 17, 2023, Zoning Administrator’s Interpretation which:\n1. Pursuant to Section 12.21 A.2 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, the Zoning Administrator's\nInterpretation (ZAI) interprets what drill site activities qualify as "well maintenance". Well maintenance\nfor oil and gas extraction sites shall be interpreted as any scope of work that meets either of the\nfollowing two criteria:\na. A scope of work that requires a Notice of Intention "Rework Permit" to carry out a rework project\non a well from the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM); or\nb. A scope of work that requires online notification per the South Coast Air Quality Management\nDistrict's (SCAQMD) Rule 1148.2 - "Notification and Reporting Requirements for Oil and Gas Well\nand Chemical Suppliers". Interprets the meaning of “well maintenance” in the LAMC, and as\nrelating to all oil/gas well operations in the City of Los Angeles.\nApplicant: City of Los Angeles\nAppellants: 1. Jessica Bradley, Warren Resources Inc.\nRepresentatives: Megan Sammut, Day Carter Murphy LLP\n2. E&B Natural Resources Management Corporation\nRepresentative: Nicki Carlsen, Alston & Bird\n3. Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) and Native Oil Producers & Employees\nof California (NOPEC)\nRepresentative: Sigrid Waggener, Manatt, Phelps and Phillips LLP\nCity Planning Commission 5 September 14, 2023\nStaff: Edber Macedo, City Planning Associate\nedber.macedo@lacity.org\n(213) 978-1198