"About 12 percent of Monterey County’s oil and gas wells are located within 200 feet of a river or creek. This includes the Salinas River, which runs through the San Ardo oil field, and is a critical source of the county’s groundwater.

"In December 2025, over 4,000 gallons of oil and toxic wastewater spilled in the San Ardo oil field, just over a mile from where the Sargent Creek feeds the Salinas River. It is unconfirmed whether that spill was connected to an active or idle well.”
—Katie Rodriguez, #MontereyCountyNow
#BigOil #Chevron #AeraEnergy #CaliforniaResourcesCorporation #MontereyCounty #Water #Air #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #AirQuality #WaterQuality #Groundwater #Oil #DesertedOilWells #SalinasValley #SanArdo

https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/local_news/hundreds-of-unplugged-oil-wells-sit-on-top-of-groundwater-sources-in-monterey-county-a/article_d333e7d2-3a6a-49e1-ac63-b452049ca8ee.html