Permanent Sealing of Orphan Wells in Canoga Park Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration

The California Department of Conservation, Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), is undertaking the permanent plugging and abandoning of six orphaned oil wells in the inactive Canoga Park Oil Field located in unincorporated Los Angeles County, with partial access road improvements extending into the City of Los Angeles. This project, documented under the California Environmental Quality Act as an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration, involves the complete sealing of each well using cement and approved materials to eliminate environmental and public safety risks associated with abandoned well infrastructure. Each well requires approximately one week for completion, with all equipment staged on dedicated pads totaling up to one acre of disturbance per well site. The work adheres strictly to state regulatory standards including CCR Title 8 and 14, the California Building Code, the Clean Water Act, RCRA, and South Coast Air Quality Management District thresholds, ensuring environmental compliance and hazard mitigation. The project’s scope includes implementing a site-specific Health and Safety Plan, Emergency Response Plan, and Waste Management Plan, along with biweekly audit reporting and adherence to fire safety codes requiring fire watches, spark arrestors, and hot work controls. All activities are governed by CalGEM oversight, with final acceptance contingent upon successful completion and regulatory sign-off at each well site. Environmental impacts are assessed across nineteen factors including air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources, noise, and tribal cultural resources, with mitigation measures in place for potential impacts such as those to cultural heritage or hazardous material exposure. No federal contracting clauses, pricing structures, or procurement evaluation factors are formally included, as the document is an environmental review and not a solicitation or contract award instrument. Equipment usage and operational logistics are guided by state-level environmental accounting, with waste containers labeled under GHS standards and hazardous materials managed under RCRA and CERCLA protocols. Access to the site is via Victory Trail and El Escorpion Trail, with the primary work zone centered at Assessor’s Parcel No. 2031-015-011, coordinates 34°11'40.9"N / 118°39'51.3"W, and the overall project duration estimated at six weeks based on the sequential treatment of each well.