[Sen. Pavley] – The California Senate has endorsed efforts by Sen. Fran Pavley to protect California’s underground drinking-water supplies from oil-related contamination.
On a 22 to 18 vote, senators approved SB 248 and sent it over to the Assembly. The bill requires regulators to boost controls over the petroleum industry’s disposal of potentially tainted water by injecting it into underground aquifers.
SB 248 is urgently needed. Officials of the state’s troubled Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources testified at recent hearings of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee that they’d improperly permitted 2,500 oil and gas wells.
The revelation raised serious questions about the agency’s mismanagement and whether it put the quality of precious groundwater at risk.
“California is suffering a fourth year of drought,” said Pavley, D-Agoura Hills. “It’s inexcusable that the very people charged with helping to protect the quality of our groundwater can’t provide detailed information about the possible presence of harmful chemicals in water used for drinking and agriculture.”
Pavley’s reform proposal seeks essential changes in how the division operates. It calls for the overhaul of injection well regulations with regular revisions every decade. SB 248 additionally shuts a loophole that allows the industry to not report some of its oil and gas-drilling activities.
The bill is backed by the Assn. of California Water Agencies, the California League of Conservation Voters, community organizations and environmental advocates.
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this is good!! how about next, they work to stop the release of million of gallons of water to save a few fish!