Kern County oil and gas permits remain on hold following a split court ruling
Environmentalists have been pushing for oil and gas permit accountability in Kern County and a recent ruling will implement new guidelines until a decision is finally made. The county’s original environmental assessment in 2015 was approved but complaints and lawsuits filed on appeal caused the courts to order the county to stop issuing permits until it addressed concerns. In 2021, the county approved the modified permit but seven months later, a judge ordered the county to halt the issuance of new oil and gas permits again until the court could determine if the county’s ordinance met the California Environmental Quality Act guidelines.