The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved dozens of new oil and gas wells at the Arroyo Grande oilfield over the next three years.
The 4-1 vote denies a 2015 appeal from the Center for Biological Diversity — an environmental advocacy organization — contesting the construction of dozens of wells at the field located off Price Canyon Rd. northeast of Arroyo Grande. The vote came after a hearing and public comments on Tuesday.
“With this short-sighted decision, the board abandoned its duty to protect residents through oversight and review of drilling operations,” said Liz Jones, an attorney at the Center’s Climate Law Institute. “This decision puts communities and our climate at risk by potentially allowing Sentinel to drill in perpetuity without proper environmental review.”
In August, the Center alleged Sentinel Peak Resources — the oil company that operates the field — is abandoning old wells and drilling new ones adding it misleadingly labels “replacements.”
