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Wednesday, February 12th, 2020

California’s Multibillion-Dollar Problem: The Toxic Legacy of Old Oil Wells

Author:     Mark Olalde and Ryan Menezes
Source:     Center for Public Integrity/Los Angeles Times
Publication Date:     February 6, 2020
 Link: California’s Multibillion-Dollar Problem: The Toxic Legacy of Old Oil Wells
Stephan:   Everytime you hear people, particularly politicians and conservative economists, talking up nuclear and oil note that they never talk about long term costs. There is at least some comprehension in the public that nuclear waste is at least an issue, even if few seem to understand the costs. But almost no one talks about the longterm costs that are going to accrue as the carbon era ends. Well, SR deals with facts not fantasies so let's look at some facts. Sorry, they aren't pretty.

The 109-year-old Elk Hills Field in western Kern County, California, is one of California Resources Corp.’s most important operations. But nearly 1,400 of its oil and gas wells there sit idle.
Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

This article is a partnership between the Center for Public Integrity and the Los Angeles Times.

INTRODUCTION

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ARVIN, Calif. — Across much of California, fossil fuel companies are leaving thousands of oil and gas wells unplugged and idle, potentially threatening the health of people living nearby and handing taxpayers a multibillion-dollar bill for the environmental cleanup.

From Kern County to Los Angeles, companies haven’t set aside anywhere near enough money to ensure these drilling sites are cleaned up and made safe for future generations, according to a months-long data analysis and investigation by the Los Angeles Times and the Center for Public Integrity.

Of particular concern are about 35,000 wells sitting idle, […]

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1 Comment

  1. cy cy on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    There is a great quote on the end of oil:

    “The Stone Age didn’t end for lack of stone, and the Oil Age will end long before the world runs out of oil.”

    —credited to Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Saudi Minister of Oil (1968-86)