California

A California appellate court has ruled against a Monterey County ban on new oil and gas wells, possibly paving the way for Chevron and a bevy of smaller oil companies to begin drilling new wells.

A recent settlement of up to $1.8 billion between Southern California Gas Co. and thousands of alleged victims has offered a measure of relief to some. But many residents say they still know painfully little about how the disaster affected their health.

The investigation and cleanup of the oil spill, originating from a rupture in an Amplify Energy pipeline in the Beta field, is ongoing.

L.A. County's plan to phase out drilling comes after a years-long environmental justice movement focused on adverse health effects. Advocates hope it will be a model elsewhere.

One of the last oil facilities in state waters on the path towards full decommissioning slated to begin in 2022.

Living near active oil and gas wells may put pregnant people at higher risk of having low-birth-weight babies, especially in rural areas, finds a new study of birth outcomes in California.

In general, this shift elevates the importance of public health and environmental considerations in the regulation of oil and natural gas production in the state. In turn, production in the state is likely—at least in the near and medium term—to face both longer odds and longer waits for permitting.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is cracking down on oil producers by halting the approval of hundreds of hydraulic fracturing permits until independent scientists can review them.

Methane emissions from California garbage dumps far surpass emissions from oil fields, according to a NASA survey.

The measure bars any California leasing authority from allowing pipelines or other oil and gas infrastructure to be built on state property. It makes it difficult for drilling to occur because federally protected areas are adjacent to state-owned land.