SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he is encouraged by Chevron’s efforts to clean up what has turned into the state’s largest oil spill in decades.
The governor visited the oilfield west of Bakersfield on Wednesday where more than 900,000 gallons have seeped out of the ground over the last couple of months, according to KQED News. About one third of that is oil and the other two-thirds water.
Chevron says the oil spill may have started when crews tried to seal an abandoned well.
State officials say the spill does not pose a risk to drinking water.
Newsom told reporters Chevron has been forthright about the incident. But he adds that the state will ask the company to turn over data so regulators can investigate the cause of the leak.