Chevron U.S.A. v. County of Monterey

Filed 10/12/

CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

CHEVRON U.S.A., INC., et al., H045791 (Monterey County Plaintiffs and Respondents, Super. Ct. No. 16CV003978)

v.

COUNTY OF MONTEREY,

Defendant;

PROTECT MONTEREY COUNTY et al.,

Interveners and Appellants.

Appellant Protect Monterey County (PMC) appeals from the trial court’s judgment striking down a County ordinance banning “land uses in support of” new oil and gas wells and “land uses in support of” wastewater injection in unincorporated areas of Monterey County. These ordinances were enacted as part of Measure Z, an initiative sponsored by PMC and passed by Monterey County voters. The trial court upheld, in part, a challenge to Measure Z by plaintiffs, numerous oil companies and other mineral 1 rights holders in Monterey County. PMC contends that the trial court erroneously

1 Six separate actions were consolidated below. One was brought by Aera Energy LLC (Aera). A second action was brought by Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and a group of other entities, which we will refer to collectively as Chevron. A third action was brought by…