SACRAMENTO, California — Permitting of new oil wells will remain paused in Kern County after a state appellate court ruled Thursday that the county still hasn’t met California Environmental Quality Act requirements.
The ruling is a victory for environmental and community groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity in their fight against a county plan to streamline well permitting. It’s a loss for the county and the California Independent Petroleum Association.
Drilling of new wells has been paused for more than a year under court orders in California’s most oil-rich county as the state imports more crude from overseas and contends with gas price spikes amid its transition to carbon-free energy.
The county put out the first version of the drilling plan in 2015 and reworked it after an earlier loss in court. Thursday’s ruling by the Fifth District Court of Appeal found the county’s latest attempt was still insufficient.
