California Dirty Air

Oil derricks pump as the moon rises near the La Paloma Generating Station in McKittrick in 2017.

 Gary Kazanjian / AP

A Kern County oil producer has stirred controversy by trying to buy up residential property in the McKittrick area in preparation for a buffer zone the state is placing between oil field operations and sensitive sites like homes.

Berry Corp. recently sent out what it called fair-market offers to owners of property that might fall within the mandated 3,200-foot setbacks scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. New drilling will be off-limits within the buffer, and existing wells there face added monitoring and reporting costs.