As the deadline for public comments closes Friday, environmental justice advocates are urging San Joaquin Valley residents to weigh in on a federal proposal they say could expand oil and gas drilling across large portions of Central California’s public lands.

The Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN) is calling on community members to submit comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) before the comment period ends, warning that the proposal could worsen pollution and health conditions in communities that already face some of the poorest air quality in the country.

The plan would update oil and gas management policies for lands overseen by the BLM Bakersfield Field Office, which manages public lands and mineral resources across several counties in south-central California, including Kern County.

According to CCEJN, the proposal could open “hundreds of thousands of acres of Central California’s public lands to oil and gas drilling,” raising concerns about environmental and health impacts in nearby communities.

In an Instagram post urging the public to participate in the federal comment process, the organization said the proposal threatens both ecosystems and vulnerable communities in the region.

“Farmworkers, low-income communities, and communities of color in the San Joaquin Valley already breathe some of the dirtiest air in the nation,” the organization wrote. “More drilling means more pollution, more asthma, more suffering — for the people who can least afford it.”

The San Joaquin Valley has long struggled with severe air quality issues and frequently ranks among the most polluted regions in the United States for ozone and particulate pollution.

Ivan Ortiz, a field investigator and information analyst with CCEJN, said expanding oil and gas drilling on federal lands could further compound those challenges.

“With the opening of federal lands to oil and gas drilling, the same lands and federal parks our communities use for recreation, there will be a significant impact to the health and well-being of San Joaquin Valley residents,” Ortiz said.

According to Ortiz, much of the oil produced in the valley requires enhanced extraction methods because of the heavy nature of the crude.

“According to data from the California Energy Commission, a great number of the oil produced here in the valley relies on the use of enhanced drilling methods due to the heaviness of the oil being extracted,” Ortiz said.

He added that wells producing this type of oil are often allowed under certain regulations and exemptions to leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

“Methane can carry with it a cocktail of chemicals, such as benzene and toluene, that are harmful and carcinogenic. Exposure to these chemicals can cause both acute and chronic symptoms,” said Ortiz. “Over a short period of time, methane is 80 times more effective at trapping heat in our atmosphere than CO2, feeding further into the climate change we are seeing here in the valley, such as extreme heat or increased flooding.”

Recent reports from CCEJN outline additional concerns about oil and gas operations in Kern County. The 2025 reports documented community complaints involving strong crude oil odors, hydrogen sulfide spikes, toxic vapor clouds, pipeline ruptures, black smoke events, and shelter-in-place alerts reported by residents living near oil and gas facilities.

The reports also found that 31% of oil and gas sites inspected by the organization were actively leaking, with all of the inspected sites located within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, or parks.

Researchers said the findings are consistent with state inspection data showing that 36% of wells in Kern County were leaking.

The reports also identified regulatory gaps that allow some leaks to continue without enforcement action. According to the organization, more than one-third of the leaking infrastructure documented during inspections was legally allowed to leak because of regulatory exemptions.

Another analysis highlighted what advocates call the “heavy oil exemption,” which they say allows about 68% of California’s oil and gas infrastructure to avoid certain emissions monitoring and leak repair requirements.

Ortiz said these regulatory loopholes contribute to ongoing environmental and health concerns for residents living near oil operations.

“On top of dealing with these environmental changes, our communities already suffer health impacts from living in the most polluted air basin in the country,” Ortiz said. “The opening of federal lands continues the perpetuation of health risks and negative impacts to disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley.”

CCEJN  emphasized the importance of protecting land and water resources in the region.

“Beneath this soil flows the water we drink. Through these fields run the paths wildlife have followed for generations. In this air, our children take their first breaths,” the organization wrote in its statement. “Our rivers, groundwater, and soil are not disposable. They are life. Wildlife corridors. Open spaces. The lands that give us clean water and clean air. They deserve protection, not extraction,” the group added. “You can’t drill for oil without drilling into our future.”

The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public comments on the proposal through Friday as part of the federal environmental review process. All public comments must be submitted electronically to be considered in the final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). BLM encourages commenters to submit their input via the BLM’s ePlanning project website, or via project email at BLM_CA_BKFO_OIL_GAS_SEIS@blm.gov.