Oil Industry Drops Ballot Challenge Against California Limit on Drilling

A California law that limits the drilling of new wells near homes and schools is set to take effect after the oil industry dropped a proposal to fight these limits on the November ballot and chose to pursue legal action instead. In 2022, California lawmakers passed a bill to keep new oil wells 3,200 feet away from homes, schools, hospitals, and parks. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1137 into law in September of that year. However, the law has been on pause after a referendum on the bill, pursued by the oil industry, qualified in…