SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 16,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Critical legislation holding oil
drillers accountable for their pollution has passed the
California Senate Appropriations
Committee and moves to the California Senate for a vote.
"California is one step closer
to shutting down wells that endanger communities and cleaning up
its oil well contamination," said Jamie
Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "These landmark bills
protect communities by prioritizing the plugging of idle wells,
encouraging the shutdown of low production wells, and protecting
municipal laws limiting oil drilling from legal assault. This Make
Polluters Pay legislative package will protect people from the
health impacts of oil drilling in communities."
AB 2716 (Bryan), the Low Producing Well Accountability Act,
requires oil wells in the Inglewood Oil field that produce less
than 15 barrels of oil per day to pay $10,000 per month. The oil field is the
largest urban oil field in America. The bill was amended by
the author, Assembly member Isaac
Bryan, following a deal between the author and the drillers
to withdraw a referendum against the ban on new drilling permits
within a half mile of a community. The ban is now in effect.
AB 1866 (Hart), the Idle Oil Well Cleanup Act, prioritizes the
clean-up of idle wells to facilitate the plugging of the wells and
protect communities.
AB 3233 (Addis), the Local Environmental Choice And Safety Act,
protects local statutes that limit drilling from statewide
preemption arguments.
"As California reaches the end of its oil drilling, it is taking
the appropriate steps to make sure the oil drillers that exploited
our resources for profit have the responsibility to clean up the
mess they made," said Court.
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SOURCE Consumer Watchdog