New Restrictions On Oil and Gas Operations Within A “Health Protection Zone” Is It Necessary, Who Benefits and Who Is Harmed? - Livestream

Senate Bill 1137 was passed by the California Legislature in 2022. The bill prohibits the drilling of new wells and performing remedial operations within a “Health Protection Zone” (“HPZ”) which is defined as 3,200 feet from residences, schools, health facilities, any building housing a business open to the public, etc. It also contains some new regulations regarding oil spills and emissions.There are some exceptions where the public health and safety must be protected and in the case that a Court has found that the prohibition against drilling results in a “taking” of private property for which the aggrieved party is to receive compensation.

California oil and gas operators complain that the legislation was rushed to passage without consideration of more sensible regulations supported by science.They assert that the requirements in their present form would be too costly to comply with and force many operators to cease their operations. This would lead to increases in California’s already high gasoline price and locally imported oil would have to be imported from foreign countries with lax environmental standards. Almost 1,000,000 signatures were gathered on a petition to rescind Bill 1137 and then it could be sent back to the legislature to craft more reasonable rules that make sense scientifically, protect the public and allow operators to produce oil without undue burdens. The petition will be on the November 2024 ballot and the public can decide the matter. The implementation of the bill was to take place on January 1, 2023, but has been stayed pending the outcome of the ballot measure.

Supporting the bill and opposition to the Referendum are several environmental and local groups who claim that leaks and emissions from oil and gas operations harm the health and well-being of persons living and working adjacent to the oil fields. Such groups include Earth Justice, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and some recently formed neighborhood citizens groups.

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