Twenty-one oil wells have been found to be leaking methane in or near two neighborhoods in the south-central California city of Bakersfield, and more than two dozen are being tested by state and regional air regulators.
The California Geologic Energy Management Division said in an update on its website that state and regional air regulators are in the area again Thursday to interview residents and take additional methane readings.
Repairs are at various stages at the wells, several of which were found to be leaking at least 50,000 parts per million of methane – a level at which the colorless, odorless gas can explode if ignited.
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A state staffer told The Desert Sun of the USA TODAY Network last week that California’s top oil regulator was “lying” about the level of risks at the sites, and said methane can build up underground in tight spaces and explode also. Since then, CalGEM announced it was installing pressure monitors on at least some of the wells as they are repaired or closed off.
Idled wells are a burgeoning problem in California’s century-old oil fields. A state study concluded two years ago that taxpayers could be saddled with more than $1 billion in cleanup costs if operators walk away from their responsibilities to properly plug and abandon them.
A report released Thursday by a consumer advocacy group and a coalition of environmental justice groups concludes costs associated with the industry to the state could top $10 trillion by 2045. Industry advocates say locally produced oil is vital, and is done under some of the strictest regulations in the world.
Janet Wilson is senior environment reporter for The Desert Sun, and co-authors USA Today’s Climate Point newsletter. She can be reached at jwilson@gannett.com or @janetwilson66 on Twitter
