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Health Professional Statement on the Risks Posed by Urban Oil & Gas Extraction

November 28, 2017 Los Angeles City Council 200 North Spring St Los Angeles, CA 90012 Dear Los Angeles City Council Members: We are writing to you as health and medical professionals committed to protecting and promoting the health of the people and communities we serve. Urban oil extraction is a dangerous industrial practice that is happening here in Los Angeles in close proximity to our homes, schools, and health care facilities. These operations are inherently hazardous to human health. The City of Los Angeles is responsible for protecting every Angeleno from the health and safety risks associated with drilling for oil within city limits. We call on the City of Los Angeles to enact a 2,500-foot human health and safety buffer to protect residents living in close proximity to oil and gas extraction facilities. Chemicals Exposures Oil production sites make use of and emit toxic chemicals that are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, and are harmful to multiple organ systems. Oil extraction involves well injections, transportation, onsite storage, and in some cases aerosol applications of toxic chemicals including but not limited to crystalline silica, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, naphthalene, and xylene1. Additionally, facilities emit as

PSR-LA|617S.OliveSt,Ste.1100,LosAngeles,CA90014|phone213-689-9170|fax213-689-9199|emailinfo@psr-la.org|www.psr-la.org

byproducts health-harming volatile organic compounds, along with other chemicals such as benzene and toluene. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic, such as formaldehyde, which can increase the risk of lung cancer and leukemia2. Studies show links between proximity to oil and gas development and childhood leukemia, as well as adverse birth outcomes like neural tube defects, congenital heart disease3 and preterm births4. Residents living nearby oil operations exhibit acute symptoms that match those associated with exposure to the aforementioned chemicals, such as headaches, burning eyes and throats, increased respiratory illness, nausea, and nosebleeds, among others. Communities living in close proximity to oil operations in Los Angeles are experiencing these negative health effects here and now.5 Furthermore, trade secret claims allow oil and gas companies to keep portions of their chemical use secret. Thus, the full extent of the exposures and risks incurred by Angelenos living in close proximity to these sites is unknown. Proximity to Oil Operations and Health Impacts Urban drilling is fundamentally incompatible with public health. Nowhere else in the country do we see oil drilling happening in the midst of such a dense population. There are over 1,000 active oil wells in the City of Los Angeles, and 80% of these wells are located within 2,500 feet of a sensitive land use like a home, school, hospital, or church.6 The concentration of toxic emissions is highest at the source of pollution, thus increasing the health risks for residents living in closest proximity to oil drilling. The public health risk of exposure to toxic air contaminants such as benzene are most significant within ½ mile – or 2,640 feet – of active and oil gas sites.7 A human health and safety buffer is necessary to protect the health of over 325,000 Angelenos8 who currently live within 2,500 feet of an active oil well. Moreover, a history of disparate and unequal protections has concentrated the health risks posed by these operations in low-income communities of color, where residents are already facing disproportionate burdens from multiple pollution sources. We need bold action from our elected officials to ensure that our vulnerable populations and overburdened communities are kept safe from these industrial operations. Climate Change Oil and gas production is a major driver of climate change. Extraction is the primary step in a larger fossil fuel cycle that is responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global climate change. Oil operations are known to release methane, a potent super-pollutant with at least 84 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 20-year span9. Methane is far more devastating to the climate than carbon dioxide, and is hazardous to human health and can cause headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting and loss of coordination. Climate change is one of the greatest health challenges of the century, threatening our air, water, food, shelter, and security. Health impacts resulting from climate change are – and will continue to be – felt first and worst by disenfranchised communities, exacerbating existing health, social, and economic inequalities. The low-income communities of color living fence line to oil operations in Los Angeles bear a disproportionate burden of health impacts associated with the city’s fossil fuel production. Los Angeles is a leader in the fight against climate change, and has made a clear commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions through an equitable transition to healthy, clean, renewable energy. Drilling for oil – and doing so despite the negative health impacts to the city’s underserved communities – is antithetical to those efforts. Conclusion Urban drilling is an industrial practice that does not belong in our communities. The health and safety risks posed by oil extraction are both significant and well documented. There is no reason for this inherently dangerous practice to continue harming the health of Angelenos when safer alternatives exist.

PSR-LA|617S.OliveSt,Ste.1100,LosAngeles,CA90014|phone213-689-9170|fax213-689-9199|emailinfo@psr-la.org|www.psr-la.org

As health professionals, we have a responsibility to speak out against the practices and policies that are harming the health of our patients and communities. We are asking the elected leadership of Los Angeles to do the same, and use its authority to put an end to urban drilling in close proximity to where people live, work, play, and go to school. We believe that a human health and safety buffer is necessary to protect health, and urge the Los Angeles City Council to enact a 2,500-foot health and safety buffer zone around all oil and gas extraction facilities to protect the health of Angelenos. Alongside over 250 of our health professional colleagues, Rishi Manchanda, MD-MPH Linda Rudolph, MD-MPH Board Member Center for Climate Change and Health Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles Neal Baer, MD Paul Song, MD Cesar Barba, MD Jim Mangia, MPH Chief Medical Officer, UMMA Community Clinic President & CEO Urban Underserved College Chair St. John’s Well Child & Family Center Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science David Charlisle, MD Deborah Prothrow-Stith, MD Steve Tarzynski, MD-MPH Cherise Charleswell, MPH Board President Immediate Past President CA Physicians Alliance* Southern CA Public Health Association Susan Naranjo Barbara Sattler, RN-DrPH-FAAN CA Regional Director Board Member Committee of Interns & Residents – SEIU Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments Tveen Kirkpatrick, RN Maribel Castellon, RN & Public Health Nurse CA Nurses Association SEIU Local 721 – So. CA Public Service Workers Bonnie Holmes-Gen Veronica Flores, MA Senior Director, Air Quality & Climate Change Chief Executive Officer American Lung Association Community Health Councils Janette Robinson Flint Sue Chiang, MPH-MPP Executive Director Pollution Prevention Director Black Women for Wellness Center for Environmental Health *For identification purposes only.

PSR-LA|617S.OliveSt,Ste.1100,LosAngeles,CA90014|phone213-689-9170|fax213-689-9199|emailinfo@psr-la.org|www.psr-la.org

1 Air Toxics One-Year Report: Oil Companies Used Millions of Pounds of Air-Polluting Chemicals in Los Angeles Basin Neighborhoods. Rep. N.p.: Center for Biological Diversity, 2014. 2 McKenzie LM, Allshouse WB, Byers TE, Bedrick EJ, Serdar B, Adgate JL (2017) Childhood hematologic cancer and residential proximity to oil and gas development. PLoS ONE 12(2): e0170423. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170423 3 McKenzie, Lisa M., Ruixin Guo, and Roxana Z. Witter. “Birth Outcomes and Maternal Residential Proximity to Natural Gas Development in Rural Colorado.” Environmental Health Perspectives 122.4 (2014): n. pag. Web. 4 Casey, J. A., D. A. Savitz, and S. G. Rasmussen. “Unconventional Natural Gas Development and Birth Outcomes in Pennsylvania, USA.” Epidemiology 27.2 (2016): 163-72. Web. 5 Drilling Down: The Community Consequences of Expanded Oil Development in L.A. Rep. Los Angeles: Liberty Hill Foundation, 2015. Web. 6 Analysis by J. Sadd, Occidental College. 7 Shonkoff, S.B.C. & Gautier, D. (2015). Chapter 6: Potential Impacts of Well Stimulation on Human Health in California. California Council on Science and Technology, An Independent Scientific Assessment of Well Stimulation in California. Volume 2. 8 Analysis by J. Sadd, Occidental College. 9 Gillenwater, Michael. “What Is a Global Warming Potential? And Which One Do I Use?” GHG and Carbon Accounting, Auditing, Management & Training. Greenhouse Management Institute, 28 June 2010. Web.

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Name Health Credential or Position Zip CodeSahar Abdelrahman MD 91101Saghi Nassrane RN 91501Leslie Castillo LVN 90003Dalila Gonzalez MA 90063Maria Guzman MA 90063Steven Montoya MA 90222Seiji Matsumoto MSPH 92354David Garcia DA 92260Griyanne Lacsun LCSW 92507Michelle McNevin LCSW 92507Darolyn Plant NP 92604Clara Wise DTRL 90740Sharine C. Hill HM/AS 92571Maria Matza RN, CNS, PhD 92821Graciela Rojas RN 90650Robyn Williams RN, PHN 90032Yarely Flores P.C.C. 90222Antonio Romero P.C.C. 90002Aurora Garcia LVN 90250Glenda Leflore FNP, DNP 90043Showkot Rahman MD 90029Kendra Wilkins LCSW 90001Karla Barrios MA 90262Christian Cisneros LVN 90044Anne Gleason FNP 90044Maria Galaviz FNP 90044Cassie Aneju MSGM 90032Yohanna Barth-Rogers MD 90044Cesar Barba MD 90094Alex Soto MSI 92345Zach Achen MSI 91325Ayma Ullah MSI 95148Judith McDonough Dr. PH CHES 92220Yoedono Souyanhadi PhD, RN 92324Marta Soryanhadi DrPH, RD 92324Cassandra Dewitt MD, MPH 90024Sayaka Weis Tokumitso MD, MPH 91011Jennifer Aufderspringe MD, MPH 90802Elizabeth Leon Health Specialist 90003Doris Jones PHH, RN 90047Eunice Soriano MPH 90640Alberto Rivadeneyic R.N., BSW 91741

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Jane Wallace Nursing Instructor CSU-LA 91754Ana Colmehares RN 91020Huong Pham RN 90706Lizzeth Romero PHN 90059Suzanne Kock CPMP, MSN 91784Ellie Tam MPH 90022Leticia Reyna-Terry RN, BSN 91342Brandi Sankey MPH, MS, MCHES 91765Barbara Tcheng MD 90066Karen Lamp MD 90232Blanca Andres MD 90405Meghan Powers BS (Venice Family Clinic QI Director) 90034Martin Anderson MD 90035Brian Kam MD 90035Humberto Avila MD 90026Branden Turner MD 91202Carol Archie MD, OB GYN 91405Dinya Shenoy MD 90046Brittany Sunza MD 90017Nzinga Graham MD 91030Jose Avalos MD 91030Bruno Lewin MD 90022Christine Navarro MD 90027David Carlisle MD 90056Neil Chawla MD 90068Natalie Mouna MD 91604Anthony Morena MD 91107Shanika Boyce MD 90505Deborah Prothrowstitch MD 90008Lisa Barkley MD 90292Mayer B. Davidson MD 90094Elisabeth Cederblom NP, MPH 90042Vanessa Alvarez MD 90005Diane Hara RN 91367Alexander Goldman MD 90069Nicole Morris MD 90027Camille Clefton MD 90027Michael McNicall MD 91604Meghan Y Deen MD 90027Joon Park MD 90005Walter Coppnrath MD 90039Kenneth Wei MD 90027Peter Chee MD 90007

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Diana Tran MD 92703Allison Sarmiento DO 90265Christine Panganiban MD 90063Reshma Ramachandran MD, MPP 90046Victoria M. Wakeley MD 90042Adesbemisla Paiyan MD 91202Ramsey Salem MD 90027Erica Tikiainen MD 90019Ngozi Chukwu MD, MPH 91739Irmina Hag MD, MPH 90503Theresa Nevarez MD, MBA 90601Helen Song DO, MS 90277Elise Madrid MD 90803Manuel Campa MD 90640Franklyn Rocha MD 92507Elberth Pireda MD, MPP 90249Rebecca MD 90504Gina Guillaume MD 90277Danny Kim MD, MPH 90502Margarita Loeza MD 90034Maricela Vasquez RN 91744Gilbate Granado MD 90066Evelyn Price RN, MSN/MPH 90059Dora Klee RN, MSN, CnL 90039Barbara Smith RN, MSN, MPH 90602Emmanuel Ayudele MD 90731Martha Harmon RN, PhD 93063Jennifer Brauer Former Paramedic 92104Jazmin Martinez MPH 91770Alind MBCHB, MSC 90405E. Juliet Nabeta RN 92780Ricardo Romo RN 91745Alejandra Daughty-Vilchez RN 92832Min Moon RN 91214Jennifer Sagastme RN 90250Jamer Luna RN 91709Karishma Gounder RN 90034Linh Yang RN 91790Kin Leu RN 91711Ellie Noriega RN 90650Sadra Arevalo RN 92647Stephanie Vo RN 92840Emilia Garcia Ward Clinical Social Worker 90003

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Maria Menjiran Medical AssistantMagdalena Andrade Phlebotomist 90047Paul Liebow MD 04416Marsha Epstein MD 90066Elmer Anderson, Jr. MD 90016Bob Rosenberg DDS 94904Joan Fletcher RN 98645Nancy Gibbs MD 91106M. Reza Dadsetan MD 91403Quinton C James MD 90008Ross Heckmann JD 91006Michael Siegel MD 90291Shazia Manji Public Health Student 90020William Perkins MD 90272Janet Ordway MD 04064Jimmy Hara MD 91367Janet Maker PhD 90024Felicitas dela Cruz DNSC 91030Leslie Klein DO 90039Irving Paul Ackerman MD 90024Lawrence Freedman MD 90024Natasha Marston MD 93103David Saperia MD 90403Sharon Torrisi DVM 90254Christel Uittenbogaart MD 90264Peter Ziegler DC 90211Farideh Kioumehr DVM 91403John Pearson MD 97239Arthur Strauss MD 92603David Haake MD 90230William Reilly MD 90027Miriam Tasini MD 90049Paul Song MD 90402Sandra Burnett OTR 90066Yasser Giron MD 90280Leonard Asin DPM 90064Lawrence Green MD 90077Felix Aguilar MD, MPH 90065James Provenzano PhD 90049Tatianne Velo MD 92701Zoltan Tokes PhD 90033Jane Wallace RN 91754Hollace Wood RN 91307

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Yelba Castellon-Lopez MD 90007Mariam Hakim Public Health Student 90501Cristina Costales MD 90042Anish Parekh Medical Student 91011Nicole Gatto PhD 90027Diana Brown MPH 91101Maureen Swenson MD 90274Robin Silver MD 90017Mary Goral MPH 91214Xaviour Walker MD 92603Chanell Mosby MPH 90011Cary Schwimmer PhD 90004Katheryn Howell PM 91001Megan Hennessay DO 90505Jessica Frankeberger MPH 90004Shannon Libaw MPH 90049Danielle Ramos MPH 91733Victor Munoz Nursing Student 90703Sarah Sarvi RN 91803Leonora Pezzuti OTR 90225Annie Le MPH 92507Priya Gandhi Public Health Student 90004Anish Parekh Medical Student 91011Nicole Wong MPH 90018Paul Puri MD 90049Sara DeLaney RN 95126Carolina Sandoval NP 91709Ja-Hong Kim MD 90019Iram Shafqat Medical Student 90024Rachel Acree Medical Student 90024Thomas Kim PharmD 92354Phoebe Jones RN 92782David Dassey MD 90027Stephanie Kennell-Heiling Other Health Professional Student 94122David Saperia MD 90403Lisa Hartmayer NP 94112Ana-Alicia Carr MPH 90007Edward Ornelas RN 90015Brianna Singleton NP 94141Jiayi Wan RN 90005John Goldrnring MD 95747Jackie Illum MPL 90008Sonya Vasquez MSW 90018

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Eva Manning FMP Student 91377Miriam Ramos Medical Student 91331Ameli Ramirez Nursing Student 90063Anderson Nguyen Medical Student 90806Mariela Nevarez Medical Student 90024Roberto Gonzalez Medical Student 91331Jose Negrete Medical Student 93658Allen Rodriguez Medical Student 91362Rosa Magaña Pre-Med 90018James Aboagye 90018Regina Inchizu Medical Student 90066Maria Alcantar Pre-Med 93444Jonathan Arguello 90804Mark Friedman H.S. Health TeacherLizette Garcia Medical Student 90242Maribel Camps Enrollment Coordinator 90003Robert Dodge MD 93023Evelyn Ro MSW 90057Margaret Wacker MD 92373Jose Quiroga MD 91367Rishi Manchanda MD, MPH 91604Maria Menjiran Medical AssistantMaria Rosales 90061Elise Jessica Bautista 90706Cecilia Ramirez 90706Donna Medel 90011Jacqueline Lopez 90650Anthony Rosas 90059Sarahy Martinez 90744Monserrat Arguello 90804Nathanael Morales 92617Bianca Cardenas 90044Lorenzo Gonzalez Medical Student 92805Jenifer Xavier 90043Linda Rudolph MD, MPH 94607Neal Baer MD 91604Isabel Chen MDCherise Charleswell MPH 91343Robert Tranquada MD 91767Mary Tromp 90740Gloria Sanchez 92651Chayna Riley RN, BSN 91505Maureen Miranda RN 90033

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Marie Andrea Enriquez RN 91101Myla Perez RN 91709Ayan Duh RN 90047Cyryl Celiz RN 92394Yanin Cubias CNA 90029Calvin Balotro RN 91790Andrew Fabella RN 91506Remedez Quira RN 90029Marian Garcia RN 90004Anne Marie Yokogawn RN 90277Gina Ghing RN 91205Doris Arroyo RN, BSN 90242Kathryn Wathen RN 90501Antonio A RN 91801Noriko Yamasaki RN 91803Felisabel Padua RN 91773Vicotr Dimacali RN 91390Hannah Trey RN 90004Michelle Labao RN, BSN 91010Tveen Kirckpatrick RN 91104Suzette Azanza RN 91201Kalissa Morgan RN 90018Kathleen Sanchez PhD 90010Xochitl Valdivia RD 90026Alein Haro Public Health Student 90745Lynn Kersey MPH 90017Stella Quan MPH 90033Arely Briseno MPH 90024Robin Ellis NP 90031Ileana Meza NP 90033Jin Kwon DC 92833Don Wright DC 91214Moon Im DC 90036Julie Song PharmD 91765Ashley Iwanaga MPH 94117Yulissa Chan MPH 94180Margie Matsui RN 90249Diana T. Chingos Cancer Patient Advocate 91604Alyssa Baldino RD 90025Abhinaya Narayanan Medical Student 90024Oscar Echeverria Medical Student 90024Wesley Gordon Medical Student 90024Stephanie Clavijo Medical Student 92503

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Bhavna Narayanan MD 90640Katherine Makaroff Medical Student 90024David Patron Medical Student 90024Maria Ruiz Medical Student 90024Roberto Gonzalez Medical Student 91340Angela Reese Medical Student 85212Veronica Sanchez Medical Student 90025Mercedes Scott Medical Student 90024Emmanuel Aguilar-Posada Medical Student 90025Khin Khin Gyi MD 90230Chad Monk MPH 90020Miriam Ramos Medical Student 91331Kenny Ferenchak Medical Student 90066Jennifer Sudarsky MD 90035Alessandra Rizzotti Other Health Professional Student 90019Nivedita Keshav 90024Steve Tarzynski MD, MPH 90017Jim Mangia MPH 90037Barbara Sattler RN 94143Sue Chiang MPH, MPP 94612Maribel Castellon RN 90017Amanda Moore DO 91367Mary Moore MD 91367Lucas Jones MD 94611Christina Choi DC 90621Dong Kim LAC 92804