Amid climate crisis, California approves far more drilling permits
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Pumpjacks operate at a drilling site on Deer Valley Road in Antioch. New drilling permits have increased dramatically in 2020.Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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Oil pumps and drilling equipment in an oil field in Kern County, where the majority of California s oil and gas production is centered.Brian van der Brug / LA Times via Getty ImagesShow MoreShow Less
SACRAMENTO In the same year Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that the state faced a “climate damn emergency” with wildfires, his administration approved far more permits to let companies drill new oil and gas wells.
[co-author: Ivan Tether]
This is a continuing series of posts on the latest environmental and legal developments affecting oil and gas operations and development and other industries in Los Angeles and adjacent counties, as well as the southern San Joaquin Valley. In this post, we provide an update on regulatory developments at the California Air Resources Board, the California Geologic Energy Management Division, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
California Air Resources Board (CARB)
CARB’s ongoing regulatory actions affect industry generally and are focused more heavily on the oil and gas industry. Actions potentially affecting all industries include the AB 617 program, termed by CARB as the Community Air Protection Program, CRT, an evolving regulation requiring substantially increased reporting of both criteria and toxic air emissions and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, calculating carbon intensity based on Stanford’