On 15 February 2019, a California Court of Appeals dismissed a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) brought by the California Independent Petroleum Associations(CIPA) against youth organizations, the Center for Biological Diversity and the city of Los Angeles. This decision reversed a lower court decision. Originally, CIPA brought the complaint based on a 2016 settlement between the city and the nonprofits creating new requirements for drilling applications and arguing that it raised drillers’ costs without due process.