The consensus is that global warming must be limited to 1.5°C to prevent profound environmental harms, and to do so will require reaching net zero CO2 emissions globally by 2050. This sets the imperative to rapidly phase out fossil fuel production and use, since continued fossil fuel use is inconsistent with emissions reduction goals. Meanwhile, it has been found that living in close proximity to fossil fuel infrastructure can have adverse impacts on human and environmental health, with these impacts often falling disproportionately on low-income and communities of color. Such environmental injustice further sets the imperative for fossil fuel phase out. California serves as an example: based on data from the CA Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, from 2011 through 2018, 77% of the permits for oil and gas wells issued in California were in communities with a higher-than-average percentage of residents living in poverty and/or communities with a majority non-white population. In analyzing data from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, it was found that the use of air toxics, or chemicals known to cause serious health effects in humans, occurs regularly at oil and gas drilling sites, with tens of thousands of tons of such chemicals used in Los Angeles County alone over a four year period. Finally, using CalEnviroscreen data, it was found that the heaviest air toxics usage occurred in communities already considered “disadvantaged” by the California Environmental Protection Agency. Such communities are generally prone to poorer health outcomes and less economic opportunity. Specifically, of the 15 zip codes in which oil companies used the most air toxic chemicals in Los Angeles County, 11 of them were labeled as disadvantaged. It is proposed that, in order to alleviate the environmental justice concerns around oil and gas extraction, low-income communities and communities of color be prioritized in enacting measures to phase out fossil fuel extraction and use. For example, a key policy recommendation is enacting a health and safety setback buffer of no less than half a mile protecting homes, schools, and other sensitive sites within which existing wells are shut down first.