Additional reporting by Hailey Sayegh and Nicole Piper

Scroll down for a video documenting the efforts by South LA residents and activists to halt oil drilling in West Adams.

A boy plays in the apartment complex next to the Murphy Drill Site | Olga Grigoryants

The Los Angeles City Council voted Friday for a citywide ordinance that would prohibit fracking in Los Angeles. The vote was the first step in a lengthy process to create the ordinance that, if approved, will halt activities associated with hydraulic fracturing. Thirteen out of 15 councilmembers voted “yes” with two members absent.

The moratorium, which is temporary compared to a permanent ban, would prohibit activity associated with “well stimulation and hydraulic fracturing” until “safety and reliability of Los Angeles water supplies are assured,” according to the motion.

More than 200 people, some from the South L.A. neighborhoods where oil production companies operate, gathered in the audience to show their support for moratorium. Many wore stickers that read “Ban Fracking Now.” [Read more…]