Monterey County has a total of 44 active or idle wastewater injection wells. There are 261 water supplying wells within 1 mile of these wastewater injection wells, likely wells for nearby ranches, farms and rural residences. Most of these wastewater injection wells are in San Ardo oil fields.

In May 2015, DOGGR sent to EPA a list of California’s class II wastewater injection wells that are injecting into protected aquifers. In Nov 2015, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board sent letters to oil and gas operators whose wastewater injection wells are injecting into protected aquifers. The wells listed will be shut down by February 2017 unless the operators get an “aquifer exemption.” The DOGGR is holding public hearings about whether to grant aquifer exemptions. A big crowd turned out for the DOGGR aquifer exemption hearing in San Luis Obispo. Monterey County’s DOGGR hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Both DOGGR and the EPA acknowledge that 80% of Monterey’s wastewater injection wells (35 out of 44) put at risk aquifers that should be protected. In July, 2014, the state found that the industry had illegally injected about 3 billion gallons of fracking wastewater, containing high levels of arsenic, thallium, and nitrates, into central California drinking-water and farm-irrigation aquifers, and DOGGR issued cease and desist orders.

Protect Monterey County (PMC) is an organization working to pass a citizens' initiative to prevent the harmful impacts of extreme oil extraction methods. Protect Monterey County is organizing county-wide working sessions to get the fracking ban initiative on the ballot for November 2016. Meetings are set for Monterey Peninsula activists 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 6:30 pm at the Peace & Justice Center, 1364 Fremont, Seaside. For the Salinas area, Hartnell College on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at the Admin Bldg. Room E112.

Wednesday, February 3: Protect Monterey County meeting in Seaside

Read More | Protect Monterey County website