Governor Gavin Newsome | Twitter Website
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed three bills into law aimed at restricting oil and gas operations near schools, daycares, and communities. The new legislation aims to protect public health, the environment, and empower local communities with greater control over oil and gas activities in their areas.
"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. This builds off of our all-of-the-above efforts to protect communities from pollution and hold Big Oil accountable," said Governor Gavin Newsom.
One of the new laws is AB 3233 by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay). This bill grants cities and counties the authority to impose restrictions on oil and gas operations within their jurisdictions. It overrides recent court decisions that blocked ordinances limiting oil drilling adopted by voters in Monterey County and the Los Angeles City Council.
"The signing of AB 3233 is a vital win for communities across the Central Coast, and all of California," said Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay). "Putting this bill into law affirms our right to clean air and water, free of oil and gas pollution. I’m thankful to Governor Gavin Newsom for signing this important bill into law, to my colleagues for helping me get it to his desk, and to the many community members and leaders who have been fighting this battle with me. Today is a huge win for the well-being of all Californians."
Another significant piece of legislation is AB 1866 by Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), which addresses idle oil and gas wells across the state. The new law increases fees on idle wells and enforces stricter regulations to ensure that these wells are properly maintained or decommissioned.
"This is a landmark victory for taxpayers and communities most affected by the harmful health impacts of neighborhood oil drilling," said Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara). "I am proud of this decisive action we are taking today to hold the oil industry responsible for plugging over 40,000 idle oil wells across California. I want to thank Governor Newsom for recognizing the urgency of solving the idle oil well crisis in the state."
The third bill, AB 2716 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), targets low-oil production wells in the Baldwin Hills Conservancy's Inglewood Oil Field. It imposes a $10,000 monthly penalty on these wells until they are permanently plugged.
"The Inglewood Oil Field is the largest urban oil field in our state. Production in recent years has been marginal, but for decades the negative health impacts surrounding it have cost the nearby community with their life expectancy," said Assemblymember Bryan."Today, with Governor Newsom’s signature, we will finally shut it down and establish the state’s first repair fund for frontline communities who have been organizing for years to be seen, heard, and protected."
These laws are part of California's broader efforts to reduce pollution from industrial operations. Last month, Governor Newsom announced plans to further hold Big Oil accountable for its environmental impact while preventing gas price spikes.
In June, California saw a major victory when an industry referendum aiming to repeal protections against neighborhood drilling was withdrawn. This allowed California’s law requiring setbacks from sensitive community areas like schools and daycares to proceed.
Last year, California sued Big Oil over decades-long deception resulting in significant health and environmental costs.
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