7.

California Council on Science and Technology, “Orphan Wells in California: An Initial Assessment of the State’s Potential Liabilities to Plug and Decommission Orphan Oil and Gas Wells,” California Council on Science and Technology, 2018, https://ccst.us/reports/orphan-wells-in-california/.

This is a report by the California Council on Science and Technology, published in 2018. In it, the report explains the massive scope that clean up of orphan oil and gas wells, those reflected in the Los Angeles Times map (source 6 of this event), would require. There are at least 5,540 wells that have no responsible operator, meaning California would be responsible for their cleanup estimated over $500 million. This policy-centered report shows that groups are working with policymakers to see what can be done about unused wells as the state considers further decommissioning. 

“Oil well pump jacks” by Richard Masoner is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.