The U.S. EPA (EPA) periodically reviews the state’s UIC program to ensure compliance with the federal Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA). As a result of an audit and in light of the drought, the EPA is working with state
regulators to ensure that all 50,000 injection wells in the state – the backbone of California’s energy
independence and supply chain – are operating safely and in compliance with the SDWA.
The California Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), in
coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), has launched a comprehensive statewide
review and corrective action plan that consists of adopting tighter regulations, increasing governance, and
improving permitting processes. Measureable milestones:
 Adopted emergency regulations
 Initiated permanent rulemaking
 Evaluated all wells that could impact
public water supplies
 Reviewing water quality data for high
priority wells
 Launching new data management
system to track wells and related data
 Filing applications to federally exempt
certain aquifers from the SDWA
 Ceasing injections into any non-exempt
aquifers
California’s oil producers support this review process and have been working collaboratively with regulators to
provide all necessary data and ensure the public has timely access to information during this review process.
The legislature has assisted ongoing regulatory efforts to protect California’s water supplies by securing
additional funding for this action plan in the 2015-16 state budget. This will augment existing resources to add:
 DOGGR: 23 new permanent positions, $3.5 million in funding
o To continue extensive well evaluations
 SWRCB: 19 new positions, $2.9 million in funding
o To inventory wells and enforce drinking water standards
 Department of Conservation: 21 new positions, $10 million in funding
o To develop and implement a comprehensive UIC database system
 Department of Water Resources: $625,000
o To provide better public accessibility to well completion reports
 Codifies relationship between DOGGR & SWRCB to ensure coordination