Some residents are asking if the groundwater is safe in Shafter. This, after the State Water Board announced it was investigating a case of possible illegal chemical dumping near an oil well there.
Some folks are wondering, if there's one case, could there be others?
The well being investigated is owned by Vintage Production Company. With dozens of similar wells owned by the same company all around the city, some residents fear they've become a toxic dump.
"The landscape has changed dramatically," said Walt Desatoff who lives right across the street from Vintage Production's main storage yard in Shafter.
Desatoff said when he bought his house in the 90's, farmland surrounded him.
"The oil field across the street from us when we moved in was a rose field," said Desatoff.
Over the last couple years, dozens of wells have popped up around him.
"Within a year, year and a half they put in 40 new wells," said Desatoff.
Wednesday another was being drilled.
"We don't know when or where they are going to go next," said Desatoff.
According to fracfocus.org these wells are deep, 9,000 feet below the surface and horizontally drilled, extracting oil sometimes miles from the well site.
"We have them coming up us right now," said Desatoff. "Some coming from the north, some from across the street."
Desatoff owns the mineral rights to his land and collects checks from a well, a mile from his house.
"They're taking the crude out from under me whether I get paid for it or not," said Desatoff.
But, Desatoff would trade the money to get rid of the wells any day because he's concerned about the black and white liquid he believes to be wastewater discharge, shown in a YouTube video pouring into an unlined pond. The video was taken of a well east of Shafter and is why the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board is concerned.
"We saw an operation we believe may pose a threat to water and we want to see technical information so we can evaluate that," said Clay Rodgers, Assistant Executive Officer for the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
"I think it's happened at every single well," said Desatoff.
The Board believes the discharge is a byproduct of fracking. That's when oil companies pump water and chemicals into a well to break about the ground to allow oil to flow. Desatoff, who drinks from a well, worries the wastewater is seeping into his drinking water.
"These folks seem to do what they want," said Desatoff.
John Tate, who lives a mile from the well under investigation, also is alarmed.
"It's concerning," said Tate. "Anything that would affect the water supply is scary."
Which is why the Regional Water Board is investigating.
"Hopefully, we can get a little bit more assurance in the safety of their practices," said Desatoff.
Vintage Production California responded to our request for comment after newstime.
"We continue to work with the Central Valley Water Board to provide the requested information," said Susie Geiger, Director of External Relations for Vintage Production. "While our review is not complete, we can tell you that our operational practice is to maintain hydraulic fracturing fluids in onsite tanks. We are confident that our operations do not pose a risk to human health or the environment."