California Assembly Bill 1866 on Idle Oil Wells Capping Advances to Senate Floor

CA Assemblymember 37th Assembly District Gregg Hart announced further success on his Bill AB1866 to hold oil companies responsible to plug all abandoned oil wells in the state. As of August 15th, the bill has advanced to the Senate Floor. 

Hart’s AB1866 to ensure the abandoned oil well capping gets done by the oil companies responsible for them is part of his commitment to environmentalism in the state. In his recent press release he explains: 

“This bill is very simple. Oil companies that have drilled and profited from pumping oil should be financially responsible for plugging their old wells – not California taxpayers. My legislation will safeguard communities that are most harmed by the negative health impacts of neighborhood oil drilling, protect taxpayers from paying cleanup costs and create thousands of jobs. Idle oil wells in California act as a major source of methane gas emissions, ground water contamination and air pollution. The facts are clear – this serious problem is getting worse and can’t be ignored. I will work hard in the next remaining weeks in the Legislative Session to successfully pass AB 1866 through the Senate and onto the Governor’s desk for his signature.” 

Benefits of the bill include: plugging the wells creates a significant opportunity to strengthen California’s economy and create jobs, and protects California taxpayers from having to pay for it via taxes. Half of the known 40,000 idle wells in the state are at risk of becoming “orphan”, leaving taxpayers responsible to plug them, estimated at $10 billion. These wells are a known health risk to communities in their proximity.

411: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1866