Living in the shadow of LA's hidden oil wells

For most, Los Angeles conjures images of a city of beaches, palm trees, and movie stars. Few realize LA County is also one of the largest oil-producing regions in the United States.

Oil wells are strewn everywhere across Los Angeles. Including on Pico Boulevard, next to the affluent neighborhood of Beverly Hills, where two fake buildings house and hide active oil wells. From the street, it's nearly impossible to tell what is inside.

Artificial islands off the coast of Long Beach disguise further drilling sites. And the disguise is so good that tourists who assume they are hotels often ask the city how they can book a night's stay there.

Other sites, such as the Inglewood Oil Field, are out in the open. The largest urban oil field in the US, it is right next to Kenneth Hahn State Park, where there is a fishing pond, hiking trails, and playgrounds. The pumpjacks are visible from inside the park.

Elsewhere there are yet more wells that have been built over, making them invisible to unknowing residents who pass them every day. A map created by CalGem, the state agency that manages oil and gas, shows them beneath neighborhoods, schools, and playgrounds.

And that is a big issue, as they are potential sources of pollution linked to respiratory disease, cancer, cardiovascular problems, reproductive harm, and other serious health issues.

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