LA County Launches First Interactive Map of Oil, Gas, and Industrial Sites

Screenshot (Photo – lacounty)

Los Angeles County officials today unveiled a new interactive environmental mapping tool that gives residents and policymakers unprecedented visibility into the location of oil and gas facilities, industrial operations, and waste sites across the region.

By News Desk

Developed by Public Health’s Office of Environmental Justice and Climate Health, the tool brings together multiple environmental datasets into a single platform, allowing users to explore how industrial activity intersects with neighborhoods, schools, and other community spaces.

Key Findings Highlighted by the Tool

Los Angeles County currently contains:

• More than 6,000 active or idle oil wells
• 1,300 industrial facilities

Many of these sites are located near residential areas, where communities may experience environmental conditions such as noise, air pollution, odors, and the risk of accidental releases.

What Users Can Explore

The platform organizes data into two primary categories:

• Oil and Gas Facilities: Locations and details of active, inactive, and retired wells; underground gas storage sites; refineries; and fuel terminals.
• Industrial and Waste Sites: Information on water reclamation plants, Superfund sites, active industrial operations, and solid waste facilities including landfills and recycling centers.

Additional map layers include city boundaries, Census tracts, Supervisorial Districts, Green Zones, and Public Health Teams service areas, helping users understand how environmental burdens align with community demographics and administrative regions.

Public Health Perspective

“Communities should be able to easily see clear information about what is in their neighborhoods,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “This tool brings multiple sources of information together so people can better understand what may be affecting their health, make informed decisions, and support community planning that benefits everyone in the county.”

A Step Toward Environmental Justice

County officials describe the tool as part of a broader commitment to transparency, health awareness, and environmental justice. By centralizing data that was previously scattered across agencies, the platform aims to support community advocacy, research, and policy development.

Residents can now explore environmental conditions in their neighborhoods and use the information to guide local planning and community action.