Residents Harmed by Oil Drilling May Soon Receive Reparations Under New California Law

California’s AB 1661 allocates $5 million from penalties on Inglewood oil wells to pay up to $5,000 to 1,000 nearby households with qualifying respiratory or reproductive health impacts. The law targets Inglewood, Ladera Heights, and Baldwin Hills, where Black residents experience higher asthma, heart conditions, and lower life expectancy linked to oil-field pollution. AB 1661 follows AB 2716, which requires the Inglewood Oil Field’s closure by 2030 and imposes penalties on low-producing wells.