Capping the 1,100 orphaned oil and gas wells polluting Kern County
According to the State Department of Conservation, orphaned oil and gas wells are polluting backyards, recreation areas, and community spaces across the country. Through President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill, California is one of 24 states charged with changing the process of plugging over 10,000 orphaned gas and oil wells nationwide. State Supervisor of Oil and Gas Uduak-Joe Ntuk says plugging oil and gas wells benefits the environment by reducing methane emissions, as well as reducing groundwater and soil pollution. He adds that as of this month, nearly 1,100 of the wells identified for plugging in California are in Kern County, representing 20 percent of wells in the state.
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