Robert Besser
25 May 2023, 02:58 GMT+10
SACRAMENTO, California: California lawmakers have blocked an environmental bill that would have made oil companies liable for the health problems of people who live close to oil wells, and another bill that would have increased the state's emissions targets.
The two bills are among hundreds that did not survive the state's Legislature suspense file, a process where lawmakers decide on the bills that could become law later and the ones that should not progress without explanation.
In 2022, Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law banning the drilling of new oil wells within 3,200 feet of vulnerable areas, such as homes and schools, but the oil industry have placed a referendum on the 2024 ballot asking voters to overturn it, angering environmental and health activists.
Under the proposed bill, authored by Sen. Lena Gonzalez, oil companies would have been required to pay up to $1 million to people who have cancer or other health issues caused by the wells.
"Today, we missed a key opportunity to advance legislation that would hold polluters accountable and prevent further harm to families who are just trying to stay healthy and have a better quality of life," said Gonzalez in a statement.
The Senate Appropriations Committee also prevented the bill from reaching the floor of the Senate, meaning it is not likely to become law.
"The billions of dollars and the fiscal mess that this bill would have caused to the State and local governments from their own liabilities, the fiscal responsibility of inherited wells, and the cost to the court system, would be substantial," noted Kara Greene, spokesperson for the Western States Petroleum Association, as quoted by the Associated Press.
This year, State Senator Henry Stern, a Los Angeles Democrat, introduced another failed bill that would have required the state to reduce green house emissions to 55 percent below the 1990 level by the end of 2030.
Get a daily dose of Knoxville Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Knoxville Times.
More InformationBANGKOK, Thailand: This week, Thailand's Deputy Finance Minister Krisada Chinavicharana said after a weaker-than-expected third quarter, the country will downgrade ...
BEIJING, China: The country's commerce ministry said that during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Ho ...
NEW YORK, New York - Retreating bond yields and a higher-then-expected GDP reading for the third quarter boosted U.S. stocks ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: President Joe Biden invoked a Cold War-era act this week to boost investment in U.S. manufacturing of medicines ...
NEW DELHI, India: On November 24, the Economic Times (ET) reported that Tesla is ready to invest up to $2 ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed in positive territory despite a volatile day Tuesday. Spending much time in ...
While Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been frantically shuttling around the Middle East trying to stop the Israeli coflict ...
LESBOS, Greece: Greek authorities said a cargo ship sank off the island of Lesbos over the weekend during a storm, ...
COLUMBUS, Ohio: To stop the spread of bird flu, more than 1.3 million chickens will be killed on Ohio's Union ...
In a devastating turn of events, Israel's war on Gaza, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attacks on October 7, has resulted ...
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: In a Louisiana election where more than 43,000 people cast their ballots, a candidate for parish sheriff ...
LIVINGSTON, Kentucky: This week, railroad operator CSX said a train derailment involving 16 cars, two of which spilled molten sulfur ...