There are calls for policy changes in California to hold oil companies responsible for cleaning up their inactive wells.
Across California, there are more than 41,000 orphaned or idle wells, and according to a new report by the Sierra Club, these wells often leak methane and other toxic pollutants into the air, waters, and soils around these sites.
One of the report's authors, Jasmine Vazin, told KNX News reporter Margaret Carrero, "Our report advocates for meaningful swift policy change to bring California up to the same standards as other states that regulate oil and gas."
Vazin said other states, such as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Colorado, and North Dakota, have laws mandating the cleanup of idle wells within six months to a year of becoming idle; however, there is no mandated timeline in California.
"Over a third of the idle wells currently in California have been idle for eight years or more, and that's unacceptable," Vazin said.
According to the report, L.A. County is home to nearly 9% of the state's orphaned wells.
The report also found that three major oil companies, Chevron, Aera Energy, and California Resources Corporation, own two-thirds of the idle wells - with Chevron said to be the top with more than 9,000 inactive wells.
As far as Vazin is concerned, if nothing is done to change current California policies, taxpayers will be on the hook for all those costs; meanwhile, the report looked at global profits for each company and found that, "They have more than enough profits to cover the costs of cleaning up their legacy of pollution in California."
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Dr. David Haake, an area resident & a professor at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, said his family has been "Victims of the oil industry's flagrant disregard for public health."
He says he has lost two spouses to cancer and, "The oil industry continues to profit while we continue to suffer from the harm that their toxic mess has created." He believes the oil industry is responsible for cleaning up the problem it created.
The report includes some policy recommendations such as requiring operators to plug all future idle wells maintaining that status for longer than 12 months.
KNX News received the following statements from Chevron, California Resources Corporation, and Aera Energy.
FULL CHEVRON STATEMENT:
"It is inaccurate to imply that Chevron will leave the California taxpayer responsible for our obligation to plug wells after they are no longer producing oil or natural gas. Chevron has programs in place to inventory, prioritize, and safely and permanently plug idle wells according to applicable regulatory requirements and internal guidelines.
We have completed that process on more than 2200 wells so far this year and on 6800 wells in California in the last five years. We work hard to proactively manage operational issues like emissions, loss of integrity and containment with our inactive wells. During that process, California law requires extensive testing to ensure idle wells are being properly managed.
We will continue to focus on safely plugging idle wells and ensuring that the taxpayers are not left responsible for Chevron's obligations."
FULL CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CORPORATION STATEMENT:
"CRC has a robust Idle Well Management Program. Idle wells have an essential role in our life of field planning, and we maintain some of these wells for reuse, so that our operations minimize surface disturbance, energy use and emissions.
We are also investing in new technologies that have the potential to reuse idle wells for generating renewable energy, such as geothermal power, to advance the energy transition in California. In addition, CRC invests significantly to permanently plug idle wells at a pace that exceeds state mandates."
FULL AERA ENERGY STATEMENT:
"At Aera, we have always taken our responsibility to retire idle wells very seriously, and we have supported California’s efforts to ensure it has the resources needed to continue reducing the state’s idle well inventory. We also support smart regulations to address safe remediation of idle wells in the state.
We have a dedicated team within Aera with years of experience that prioritizes work with public health, safety and environment at the forefront of their decisions as they continue to keep us in compliance.
Since 2019, Aera has abandoned 5,334 wells, while also adhering to the most rigorous testing standards in the country. In 2023, we are on track to abandon close to 950 wells and we will continue to abandon idle wells in compliance with the Idle Well Management Plan."
KNX News also received the following statement from the Western States Petroleum Association.
“The errors and omissions of the Sierra Club study are purposeful and paint a wholly inaccurate picture of the extensive and stringent policies and regulations in place to manage idle wells."
"From overstating the number of idle wells in the state, to greatly exaggerating the financial liabilities to the state, to failing to even mention California’s toughest-in-the-nation idle well regulations, this report is meant to provide policy makers an erroneous and exaggerated picture of idle well policy in the state."
"The report is attempting to create a perceived crisis that does not exist. “The fabricated findings of this study are a disservice to the public and have no place in energy and climate policy discussions.”
A previous version of this article stated "some policy recommendations were made, including requiring all currently idle wells to be plugged immediately." The article has since been updated.
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