California plan to ban community oil drilling far from final

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to ban new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of neighborhood sites is drawing cautious optimism from environmental groups but strong pushback from the oil industry and its labor allies. The ambitious proposal Newsom announced Thursday would be the nation’s largest required distance between oil wells and sites like schools, homes and hospitals. It has a long way to go before it becomes official state policy and it could change. It wouldn’t shut down existing wells but would make them follow new pollution controls. California is the seventh-largest oil and gas producing site.