California AG Filed Lawsuit Challenging Plan for Oil & Gas Leasing on Federal Land in Central California

JANUARY 17, 2020

On January 17, 2020, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plan to open more than one million acres of federal land in Central California to oil and gas drilling, including fracking. The complaint emphasized that BLM’s plan would exacerbate air pollution problems in Kern County, much of which is in nonattainment with 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), “as well as numerous state ambient air quality standards.” The complaint also warned that the plan threatens surface- and groundwater resources and endangered species, will heighten earthquake risks, and will lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

On August 1, 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom announced a settlement with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to stop the leasing. Under the settlement, the Bureau will perform environmental reviews on the potential impacts gas and oil sites could have on California’s resources and residents.