California Court Invalidates Parts of County Ordinance Banning Well Stimulation Treatments and Underground Wastewater Injection

On December 28, 2017, the California Superior Court for Monterey County issued a ruling striking down parts of a ballot-initiative measure that sought to prohibit use of land for hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking) treatments and oil and gas wastewater injection and impoundment. The outcome may have ripple effects throughout the industry as other municipalities consider similar bans on fracking and wastewater injection.