Credit: BLM
January 8, 2026 – LOS ANGELES — More than 1,000 oil and gas operators violated a recent California law aimed at cleaning up the state’s idle wells, which pose a threat to the environment, air quality and public health, records show.
The law, A.B.1866, strengthened requirements for operators to either pay a fee or submit a management plan for each of their idle wells — oil and gas wells that are no longer producing — by May 1. Compared to prior years, more operators, especially larger ones, submitted idle well management plans in 2025 instead of paying the increased fees. As a result, most of California’s idle wells are “covered” by these plans, which vary in length of time from 1 to 8 years…