The City Council took steps this month to ban oil drilling in Brentwood, though concerns still loom about possible rig development on nearby agricultural land.
An ordinance introduced at a Feb. 13 public hearing would block oil and gas production in certain districts of the city — specifically the Garin Ranch and Sciortino Ranch neighborhoods. The ordinance can be finalized at a second hearing expected in coming weeks.
Councilmember Jovita Mendoza thanked partners and community stakeholders that support the ordinance including the city of Antioch, which passed its own ban on drilling in January 2022; the Sunflower Alliance, an environmental justice and health organization; the Center for Biological Diversity; and numerous high school students who became involved.
She called for Diane Burgis, the District 3 Contra Costa County supervisor, to implement a similar oil and gas drilling ban for unincorporated areas.
“A thousand feet from our homes in Brentwood, there is a company that wants to do oil and gas drilling,” Mendoza said. “So while we took care of it in our city, it’s still a threat up and down Deer Valley (Road), which they said is prime for making a lot of money.”
Exploratory drilling
Sunset Exploration Inc., owned by Bob Nunn, is partnering with Powerdrive Oil and Gas on an application to gain the county’s approval on a project to put a gas and oil well pad on 160 acres of agriculturally zoned land between Old Sand Creek Road and St. Regis Court — the open space across Highway 4 near The Streets of Brentwood.
County records show the project proposes to drill three exploratory wells, estimated to take 20 to 30 days each. If oil or gas are found in commercial quantities, a rig would be installed for a permanent production well that would run for up to 12 hours per day.
Burgis said the issue of oil drilling, among other important land use questions, is being considered through updates to Contra Costa County’s General Plan, which is in the final year of “a rigorous and open community dialogue that started in 2018.”
“I encourage everyone with concerns about land use in unincorporated areas to read the draft plan at envisioncontracosta2040.org and share your ideas,” she said.
In addition to forbidding oil and gas drilling in certain districts, Brentwood’s new ordinance would bar such development in other areas of the city, unless oil and gas drilling is expressly cited as permitted use in a particular district.
Leaving the door open
Brentwood planning manager Erik Nolthenius said the ordinance would allow a future council to permit drilling in certain areas.
“It should be noted that there are no active or pending permit applications relating to any proposed oil and gas development in the city,” Nolthenius said. “As a result, the ordinance won’t have any immediate or anticipated effect on private property or development rights.”
Carolina Villaseca, who spoke at the hearing, supported a drilling ban.
“This has been a long time coming,” Villaseca said. “Our young people here in Brentwood did an amazing job of bringing facts to the table about the effects of oil and gas.”
“I think that we need to show the future generation that is going to live with the consequences that we support them and … that we care about our city, our residents, the health of our residents, and that we are really looking forward to a healthier Brentwood,” she said.