In a move addressing environmental and public health concerns, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a trio of bills aimed at giving California communities more control over oil and gas operations within their boundaries. According to an announcement from the Governor's Office, these new laws will not only shield neighborhoods from the negative effects of industrial pollution but also accelerate the process of decommissioning older oil and gas wells.
"The health of our communities always comes first. These new laws allow local leaders to limit dangerous oil and gas activities near homes, schools, and other areas as they see fit for their communities, and give the state more tools to make sure that idle and low-producing wells get plugged sooner," Governor Newsom was quoted in the announcement. This legislation falls in line with Newsom's broader strategy to curtail pollution and bring Big Oil to account for impacts on Californian communities and the environment.
AB 3233, introduced by Assemblymember Dawn Addis, affords cities and counties the authority to impose restrictions on new oil and gas developments, stacking on top of existing local ordinances. "Putting this bill into law affirms our right to clean air and water, free of oil and gas pollution," Addis stated, acknowledging the collective efforts of the community in prompting this legislative action. The bill is in direct response to court hurdles faced by voter-approved ordinances in Monterey County and by the Los Angeles City Council, aiming to secure the rights to a cleaner habitat.
With the passing of AB 1866, put forward by Assemblymember Gregg Hart, stringent measures have been introduced to ensure that idle wells are responsibly managed. Hart told reporters, "This is a landmark victory for taxpayers and communities most affected by the harmful health impacts of neighborhood oil drilling," as per the Governor's Office. Under this new law, companies are compelled to plug inactive wells, mitigating potential leaks and environmental contamination, despite a superfluous comma in Hart's statement.
The legislation also targets the Inglewood Oil Field through AB 2716, a bill by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, which mandates the shutdown of low-production wells within the Baldwin Hills Conservancy and imposes heavy penalties on operators for non-compliance. Bryan asserts that this victory was long-fought by the community, who have suffered health impacts for generations. The penalties collected will be allocated to community refurbishments such as park creation, benefiting those on the frontline of the urban oil battlefield.
