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Taft mayor says state bill would let Kern County issue up to 2,000 well-drill permits annually for 10 years
Summary
Mayor North told the Taft City Council on Sept. 16 that recently passed state legislation would "codify" a countywide supplemental EIR and, if signed by the governor, allow Kern County to issue up to 2,000 new well-drill permits per year for the next 10 years; the mayor said the bill passed both houses and awaited the governor's signature.
Mayor North told the Taft City Council at its Sept. 16 meeting that state lawmakers had passed legislation that would codify a countywide, resubmitted supplemental environmental impact report and, if signed by the governor, permit Kern County to issue as many as 2,000 new well-drill permits per year for the next 10 years.
"In the end, we, as Kern County, will be able to issue up to 2,000 new well drill permits per year for the next 10 years," Mayor North said, adding that the measure passed both the Assembly and the Senate and was awaiting the governor's signature. He credited Senator Shannon Grove with playing a leading role in the effort, saying Grove ‘‘was at the front of this fight.’’
The mayor characterized the legislation as the end product of lengthy negotiations and said local leaders and others supplied data during deliberations. He said the local goal is to manage decline and apply new technologies and processes rather than to encourage unchecked drilling.
The council did not take local legislative or regulatory action on the item at the meeting. Mayor North framed the update as informational and said he was withholding celebration until the governor either signs or vetoes the bill.
Context: The comments came during the council's general statements period; Mayor North described long negotiations, late-night session activity at the state Capitol and the hope that the governor would sign the bill "either tomorrow or Friday." The council did not discuss implementing steps or local ordinances in the same meeting.
What remains unresolved: The mayor reported the Legislature had passed the bill but said there was not yet a gubernatorial signature; he did not provide a copy of the bill number, the full text of the codification language, or specific local implementation steps for Taft if the statute is enacted. The agenda and mayor's remarks reference a "countywide resubmitted supplemental EIR" and drilling-permit limits as described above.
