California Shuts Down Oil Wells To Protect Groundwater

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A dozen wells used to siphon oil and gas in California’s Central Valley have been systematic to stop prolongation to strengthen subterraneous celebration H2O from contamination, officials pronounced Tuesday.

The operators of 10 oil wells in Kern County willingly stopped production, while dual were released cease-and-desist orders, pronounced Steven Bohlen, conduct of oil, gas and geothermal resources for a California Department of Conservation.

Groundwater surrounding a wells will be tested for traces of contamination.

The movement came after a examination found some-more than 2,500 instances when a state certified oil margin injections into stable H2O aquifers that could be used for celebration or irrigating crops. The state identified 176 as high priority concerns.

In addition, California — a nation’s heading rural state — enters a fourth drought year with farmers relying heavily on wanting subterraneous H2O supplies.

“It doesn’t indispensably meant that a aquifers have been spoiled,” Bohlen pronounced in a write call with reporters.

He pronounced another 11 wells were close down final year, and so distant contrast has found no justification of contamination.

Years of confusion, messy slip and miscommunication among state and sovereign regulators are to censure for injecting stable groundwater with a waste, says a apart news California’s Environmental Protection Agency done open Tuesday.

It says a problem initial came to light in 2011, when a state central from Sacramento temporarily operative in a margin bureau found discrepancies in records. One set pronounced that 11 aquifers could be used for injections, while another set pronounced they were protected.

State officials continue to examination oil-drilling permits to scold such errors.

Kassie Siegel, an profession during Center for Biological Diversity, called on Gov. Jerry Brown to immediately hindrance a operation during a remaining oil wells in question.

“This ban news shows that state oil officials definitely unsuccessful to strengthen purify California aquifers from dangerous oil attention waste,” Siegel said. “Shutting down 12 bootleg injection wells hardly scrapes a aspect of this hazard to the celebration water.”

Article source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/04/california-shuts-down-oil_n_6796964.html?utm_hp_ref=los-angeles&ir=Los+Angeles