Health Professionals: Support AB 1866 (Idle Oil Well Cleanup Bill)

The Idle Oil Well Cleanup Bill (AB 1866) will soon be up for a vote on the CA Senate floor, and we need your support to champion the health and safety of frontline communities across California.

California's 40,000 idle oil wells and 60,000 active wells pose serious hazards to public health, the climate, and state finances. Many idle wells—non-producing and unplugged—leak climate-heating methane, sometimes at explosive levels, endangering nearby residents. Additionally, they emit benzene, a carcinogenic chemical with no safe exposure level. Current law permits oil companies to pay a nominal fee to avoid plugging these dangerous wells, allowing them to remain unplugged and leaking in frontline communities.

AB 1866 will protect frontline communities and our climate by requiring oil companies to clean up their dangerous idle wells much faster. It’s time to clean up California’s leaky oil wells.

Please sign our letter and show your support for AB 1866.

Questions? Contact Climate Justice Associate Emma Silber at esilber@psr-la.org