Professor Frank Talks to Daily Journal About LA Oil and Gas Ruling

Professor Richard Frank was quoted extensively in a Sept. 17 Daily Journal story that focused on a recent Los Angeles Superior Court ruling invalidating the city of Los Angeles’ ordinance phasing out oil and gas operations within city limits.

Frank noted that while the court decision is technically correct in light of a 2023 California Supreme Court decision in a similar legal dispute, California statutes on the topic of oil and gas drilling operations are fundamentally inconsistent with one another. 

Frank added that if Gov. Newsom signed a bill passed by the Legislature, AB 3233, the city’s ordinance will be validated, an outcome Frank found preferable public policy. Newsom approved the bill on Sept. 25.

Richard M. Frank ’74 is a leader in the field of environmental law, Professor of Environmental Practice and the founding director of the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at UC Davis School of Law.