"More Than 5 Million in State Live Near Oil Or Gas Well, Report Says"

"More than 5 million Californians — most of them in Los Angeles and Kern counties — live near an oil or gas well, and expanding drilling in the state could increase their exposure to health risks, according to a report released Wednesday by a national environmental group.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, analyzing state environmental data, identified 5.4 million people who live within a mile of at least one of the state's 84,000 active or new wells. They are the most likely to be affected by potential air and water pollution caused by oil and gas production if advanced extraction methods such as fracking, acidizing and horizontal drilling expand in California, according to the report.

The Western States Petroleum Assn. dismissed the study's conclusions, saying that living within a mile of oil production facilities does not pose a health risk."

Tony Barboza reports for the Los Angeles Times October 22, 2014.