CA delays detection of oil well leaks near homes and schools

Video transcript

On Sept. 30, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that gives oil and gas companies several additional years before they begin detecting and repairing wells that leak into the air and water near homes and schools.

Under the new law, state officials will not require California oil companies to monitor leaks from their operations within 3,200 feet. Buffer zone around residential areas by July 2030, three and a half years later than the deadline Newsom and lawmakers legislated two years ago.

More than 2.5 million Californians, including many in Long Beach, Los Angeles and Kern County, live within 3,200 feet of an oil or gas well, predominantly in low-income communities of color.

The request for a delay did not come from oil companies; Instead, it was demanded by the Newsom administration. State air and water regulators said they needed more time to hire staff, test leak detection techniques and develop specific guidelines.

Hollin Kretzmann, an attorney with the Climate Law Institute, called the delay “extremely concerning” and will force frontline communities to wait longer for much-needed protection from pollution. Oil wells can release dangerous pollutants into the air and groundwater, and research has linked a number of health effects, including a higher incidence of premature and low birth weight babies, to proximity to wells.

Oil industry executives say the law will cut jobs, drive up gasoline prices and increase California's dependence on imported oil. They also say their facilities are already subject to inspections and must have plans in place to clean up spills.

Newsom called the Legislature into a special session to address gas prices, giving him more time to persuade lawmakers to act on a package of energy bills that he was unable to push through in the final weeks of the regular session. Three other bills Newsom signed last month will speed up the cleanup of abandoned oil wells in California, close a low-producing oil field in Los Angeles County and allow cities and counties to restrict oil drilling.

At CalMatters, I'm Julie Cart.