In February, a report from the Center for Biological Diversity identified over 30,000 idle oil and gas wells throughout California, many of which sit in proximity to schools, public parks and residential care facilities.
The report identified over 4,000 idle wells throughout California located within 3,200 feet of these sensitive sites. While the state has prohibited any new oil and gas drilling projects within this “health-protection zone,” 3,800 sensitive sites remain near these wells.
Of the 34 wells in San Diego, 25 lay within this 3,200-foot distance of sensitive sites – or just over half a mile.
When Eadie DeMarcus, a Clairemont resident and board member of the Clairemont Mesa Community Planning Group, first heard about abandoned oil wells, she was curious how many were in her neighborhood.
She found that three of the wells are in Clairemont, and they are near at least 12 schools, playgrounds and healthcare centers.
Hoping to learn more, DeMarcus soon found there was little information available.
“I don’t know exactly the impact of the specific wells in Clairemont,” she said. “Which is why it’s also important for people to know about.”
DeMarcus added that many of these wells are “hidden in plain sight,” unnoticed by residents and long-forgotten by drilling companies.
According to the California Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), an idle well is “a well that has not been used for two years or more and has not been properly plugged and abandoned (sealed and closed).”
It’s not just a public health concern, though the risks are as yet unclear. Tax dollars are at stake too. Current estimates suggest that it will cost $21.5 billion to plug all idle wells statewide.
The wells are monitored under CalGEM’s Idle Well Program. While it is the responsibility of the oil and gas companies to properly seal these wells under section 3206 of California’s Public Resource Code, “they’ve only provided financial assurance for about 1% of the money to clean up oil and gas wells in the state,” according to Emily Diaz-Loar, author of the Center for Biological Diversity report.
She added that many companies “often offload these responsibilities on the state” and desert the wells. These “orphaned wells” then become CalGEM’s responsibility to properly seal, leaving taxpayers to cover the costs.
Diaz-Loar said that the majority of idle wells in San Diego have been unplugged for over 40 years, with three wells having been unplugged for over 100 years. “The longer the wells go unmonitored, the more likelihood there is of leakage,” she said.
Proper sealing procedures for idle wells includes creating a cement plug to permanently “isolate the hydrocarbon-bearing formation from water sources.” “If a well is not properly sealed and closed, it may provide a pathway for hydrocarbons or other contaminants to migrate into drinking water or to the surface,” according to CalGEM.
Linda Lara Jacobo, a toxicologist and assistant professor for San Diego State University’s Department of Environmental Health, said that possible contaminants from idle wells can include methane, benzene, hydrogensulfide and other volatile organic compounds.
DeMarcus said that one of her primary concerns is “the risk of environmental pollutants like benzene and toluene, especially since those have been linked to things like cancer.”
A 2020 study from the California Energy Commission found that 65% of idle wells surveyed were leaking methane, with a “mean emission (of) 5.6 grams of methane per hour.” This means that of the over 30,000 idle wells identified by the Center for Biological Diversity, 19,500 could be leaking methane.
Methane can cause groundwater and air pollution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, methane accounted for 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, with energy and industrial development being the second largest source of the pollutant in the U.S.
Local communities are at risk from methane exposure. However, Jacobo said that the extent of that risk is “hard to tell,” due to improper monitoring of idle wells. “Chronic exposure” to methane – and other pollutants, such as benzene, a carcinogen – can lead to health complications such as heart conditions or respiratory illnesses.
“I mean, if right now we start [monitoring] it, that would be best,” she said. “But, it’s really hard to predict this type [of pollution]. If they haven’t done the surveillance properly, it’s going to be complicated to tell what is the risk.”
According to Diaz-Loar, this “limited and insufficient monitoring” of pollution is one of the top concerns associated with idle wells. She added that while there “is not a huge body of scientific evidence identifying exactly what the threats are from these wells,” raising awareness is the first step towards finding a solution.
“We did the analysis to inform the public on the proximity of these wells to these sensitive sites across the state, and to try to push the legislature to pass laws that make oil and gas companies pay for their cleanup,” she said.
Some bills have been passed to provide more financial incentives for the companies to properly seal and plug wells. AB 1866 amends CalGEM’s Idle Well Management Plan (IWMP) program by “removing the restriction of long-term idle wells and allowing for the management and elimination of all idle wells on the plan,” according to the plan website.
This bill also raised annual fees for operators who are not enrolled in an IWMP.
Another bill, AB 2461, would require well operators to file a bond “in an amount determined by the supervisor to be sufficient to cover, in full, all costs of plugging and abandonment,” offsetting well cleanup costs for the state and taxpayers.
While the extent of environmental and public health risks regarding idle wells are mostly uncertain, experts said persuading people to learn more is an important first step.
“And I know it costs effort,” Jacobo said. “But it’s some effort and some money that is well invested; because, in the end, it’s for the long-term health of all humans and all animals and all ecosystems.”
DeMarcus said that she will present her findings at the next Clairemont Mesa Community Planning Group meeting on May 19 in hopes that more people will join her effort, reach out to state legislators and spread awareness.
“I think, just in general, it’s important for people to know about this and how it could potentially affect our communities,” DeMarcus said. “And just have transparency on what the impacts could be.”
