100s of Pits Full of Oil Wastewater Discovered in Calif.'s Kern County

"Unbeknown to California officials, oil producers in Kern County have been disposing of chemical-laden wastewater in hundreds of unlined trenches in the ground without proper permits, according to an inventory that regional water officials completed this week.

The Los Angeles Times obtained the results of the survey conducted by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, which uncovered more than 300 pits that officials previously didn't know existed. Expected to be released Friday, the survey also revealed that more than one-third of the region's active waste pits are operating without required permits.

Kern County accounts for at least 80 percent of California's oil production."

Julie Cart reports for the Los Angeles Times February 26, 2015.