Deadlines set to close improperly permitted wells

BAKERSFIELD, CA - The California Department of Conservation has set a deadline to start closing hundreds of improperly permitted oilfield injection wells by Oct. 15.
A state audit ordered by the US Environmental protection agency last year showed regulators wrongfully granted more than 2,500 permits, authorizing oil companies to inject potentially contaminating fluids into clean water basins that are federally protected.     Since then, state lawmakers, the EPA, and environmental