Trump Loses Early Effort to Halt California Oil Well Buffer Law

A federal judge on Tuesday denied the Trump administration’s motion to pause a California law mandating a 3,200-foot buffer between oil wells and a school, home, or other sensitive sites.

The Trump administration wants oil and gas companies to be able to drill new wells on federal land close to homes and schools so drillers can pay the government royalties from fossil fuels production. However, the state passed Senate Bill 1137, which established the buffer, because of fears that close proximity to oil and gas wells threatens public health. The Justice Department sued the state in January because it said ...