Anti-fracking bill could severely curtail oil and gas extraction in California
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Oil wells in San Ardo earlier this week a bill before the state Legislature would outlaw fracking and could lead to a severe limitation on fossil fuel extraction in California.Nic Coury / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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A bill before the state Legislature would limit several methods of oil extraction in California. These wells are in San Ardo.Nic Coury / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
California may soon take one of its most aggressive steps yet to fight climate change.
A bill before the state Legislature seeks to ban the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, in response to a high-profile request by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last year urged lawmakers to move to halt the fossil fuel extraction technique.
Throughout 2020 and early 2021, California issued more than 300 permits to oil and gas companies for new underground injection wells an intensive form of oil production and wastewater disposal.
But the actual number of new injection wells is likely higher, owing to the state’s opaque approval process that has drawn scrutiny from auditors and environmentalists. Some of these undercounted wells may be polluting groundwater used for public drinking and agricultural purposes, according to regulatory filings reviewed by Capital & Main.
The impact of injection wells on groundwater in California is understudied, regulators say. The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), which issues the permits and regulates the industry, is currently the subject of a lawsuit alleging the division issued permits for wells without required environmental reviews.
Kern runs on oil : as California confronts climate crisis, one county is ready to drill msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Bakersfield, California, Kern County seat and heart of the Kern School District. (Photo by AAARoads via Wikipedia)
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (CN) The Kern County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to reinstate a streamlined process for obtaining local oil drilling permits, angering environmentalists and prompting concerns about the health impact on nearby minority communities.
The new process amends an existing county ordinance approving new oil and gas exploration and the drilling of 2,697 new oil wells in a 3,700 square mile section of the county. The area in question is predominately used by farmers for agriculture and under the newly approved process, no further environmental reviews would be required for projects going forward.
California’s Kern County to Resume Permitting Oil, Gas Wells in April
California’s oil and natural gas hotspot Kern County is set to resume issuing permits to drill in April after adopting enhanced rules that could allow more wells to be permitted every year.
The five-member Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously adopted the ordinance, which includes restrictions that could increase the costs for oil and natural gas operators.
The rules, which would take effect around April 6, establish a generic environmental impact assessment and would require larger buffers between homes and wells along with muffled drilling noise.
Kern County, in the heart of California’s agriculture- and oil-rich San Joaquin Valley, has undergone a long process leading up to the ordinance. A draft environmental report prepared after the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Fresno last year set aside efforts to streamline the permitting process.