EPA Settles Safe Drinking Water Act Claims with California Resources Corporation and Elk Hills Power

Summary:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with California Resources Corporation (CRC) and Elk Hills Power LLC for Safe Drinking Water Act violations at the Elk Hills Power Plant in Tupman, California. The companies have agreed to pay a $109,000 penalty and implement a supplemental environmental project worth at least $282,000 with the Buttonwillow County Water District. The project will benefit the local community by plugging a standby drinking water well, demolishing a deteriorating tank, and installing a backup generator and power supply at an active drinking water well. The settlement requires CRC and Elk Hills Power to take actions to resolve exceedances of their maximum allowable injection pressure in their underground injection wells and to comply with their Underground Injection Control permit.