Speeding up California's oil drilling permit process is the goal of a new bill in the state Legislature. It forces state regulators to make quick decisions and sets strict deadlines -- ensuring oil companies don't wait years for a decision. The author is Bakersfield Republican Assembly member Stan Ellis.
"This bill, very importantly, does not weaken environmental review whatsoever. This bill is clerical and basically speeds up the timeline to get a permit issued."
But opponents say the bill endangers low-income neighborhoods and communities of color in areas like Kern County. Juan Flores, with the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment, put it this way:
"They live next to active oil wells and continue to experience higher rates of asthma, respiratory illnesses, headaches, nose bleeds and other health concerns associated with prolonged exposures to air pollution from oil and gas operations."
The bill has passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee. It heads next to Appropriations.