Power of Persistence

(Summer 2023) The “Power of Persistence” report recounts the story of L.A.’s hard-fought victory for environmental justice. With over 5,000 oil wells in the City of Los Angeles and over 22,000 in the County of Los Angeles, data shows that a significant portion of the oil activity in L.A. exists within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, and other public areas. The result is a wide range of increased health harms for frontline communities including respiratory illness, increased risk of cancer, and birth defects when exposed during pregnancy.

For over a decade, frontline residents in Los Angeles have been fighting to end these environmental injustices through community organizing by means of the Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling (STAND-L.A.) coalition. The environmental justice coalition formed in 2014—uniting frontline neighborhoods, environmental justice groups, and public health organizations across Los Angeles—to protect the health and safety of Angelenos.