Revisions to Title 19 - Kern County Zoning Ordinance - 2025(A), Focused on Oil and Gas Local Permitting

Revisions to Title 19 - Kern County Zoning Ordinance - 2025(A), Focused on Oil and Gas Local Permitting

Proposed Revisions to Title 19 – Kern County Zoning Ordinance (2025A) focused on oil and gas local permitting to implement site specific regulations and enhanced environmental protections for oil and gas activities in the unincorporated areas of the valley portion of Kern County. A Second Supplemental Recirculated EIR has been prepared to address three issues under CEQA directed to be addressed under legal actions. The previously adopted Title 19 -Kern County Zoning Ordinance for local permitting was ordered to be rescinded by the court and was rescinded on October 8, 2024 by the Board of Supervisors. The current ordinance permits oil and gas activities without any local permit or environmental regulation and only subject to a permit by the State of California. Revisions to Title 19 – Kern County Zoning Ordinance Code - 2025(A). Proposed text amendments to various Chapters of Title 19 (Kern County Zoning Ordinance) to reconsider implementation of a land use approval process for oil and gas exploration, extraction, operations, and production activities. Proposed revisions include, but not limited to, site development standards and review process through the following: (a) Establishing updated development, implementation standards, and conditions to address environmental impacts of pre-drilling exploration, well drilling, and the operation of wells and other oil and gas production related equipment and facilities, including exploration, production, completion, stimulation, reworking, injection, monitoring, and plugging and abandonment; (b) Establishing new “Oil and Gas Conformity Review” and “Minor Activity Review” ministerial permit procedures for County approval of future well drilling and operations to ensure compliance with the updated development and implementation standards and conditions and provide for ongoing tracking and compliance monitoring; (c) Establishing requirements for property owner signature on site plans with split estate ownership, in some instances; and (d) Revising various Chapters within the Zoning Ordinance to ensure consistency with proposed requirements of Chapter 19.98. These Chapters include: • 19.08 - Interpretations and General Standards; • 19.12 - Exclusive Agriculture (A) District; • 19.14 - Limited Agriculture (A-1) District; • 19.26 - Mobilehome Park (MP) District; • 19.38 - Medium Industrial (M-2) District; • 19.40 - Heavy Industrial (M-3) District; • 19.44 - Open Space (OS) District; • 19.46 - Natural Resources (NR) District; • 19.48 - Drilling Island (DI) District; • 19.50 - Floodplain Primary District; • 19.66 - Petroleum Extraction (PE) Combining District; • 19.81 - Outdoor Lighting (Dark Skies Ordinance); • 19.88 - Hillside Development; • 19.102 - Permit Procedures; and • 19.108 - Nonconforming Uses, Structures, and Lots; (2) Several sites within the Project Area are listed by CalEPA on the Cortese List, as identified in the Final Supplemental Recirculated Environmental Impact Report (2020/2021) (https://kernplanning.com/SREIR2020-oil-gas-zoning-revisions) on 2.3 million acres located Countywide. (3) Consider Final Second Supplemental Recirculated Environmental Impact Report (2025) including: proposed Findings of Fact pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15091; proposed Statements of Overriding Considerations pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15093; and, proposed Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for recommendation to Kern County Board of Supervisors.

Multiple - Unincorporated Area

Kern

Unincorporated

Kern