In 2024, the City of Brentwood banned new oil and gas drilling within the 94513 city limits. This matters in a city where neighborhoods are growing rapidly, and schools and hospitals sit close to areas that oil and gas developers target. The ban is also critical given that increasing wildfires and bad air quality can already make Brentwood’s air hard to breathe. Yet the current Contra Costa General Plan could circumvent the ban, leaving residents vulnerable. To prevent this, we need to close loopholes in Contra Costa’s general plan that allow drilling.

We applaud the city’s ban on fossil-fuel drilling. However, some parts of Brentwood and nearby East Contra Costa towns, such as Antioch, may still be at risk.  A citywide ban, while essential, can’t automatically stop county projects on close unincorporated land.  Airborn drilling hazards drift right back over the city line.  Dangerous air emissions, truck traffic, noise, and spill risks don’t stop at a city border. 

The Contra Costa Urban Limit Line (ULL), set to expire at the end of 2026, will be up for a renewal vote on this year’s June 2nd primary ballot. Renewing the updated ULL is key to the existing protections it already provides the county. Fortunately, the county ULL borders will be updated to align with the city borders, preventing drilling in some areas. Still, there is a dire need for tighter county land-use rules in the general plan so everyone near the Brentwood 94513 area is protected, not just residents inside city legal limits.  After all, we know air pollution and contaminated groundwater can extend beyond zip code boundaries. 

Why the Brentwood Drilling Ban & What it Controls

Brentwood’s local protections work through zoning and land-use rules. That lets the city prohibit new drilling within its boundaries.

Reporting in February 2024 explained Brentwood’s permanent drilling ban applies within 3,200 feet of “sensitive areas” — schools, homes, and hospitals.  It aims to stop drilling near neighborhoods like Garin Ranch and Sciortino Ranch, which border open-nature spaces. (Source: Local News Matters )

Why did Brentwood make its fossil-fuel ban permanent?   Here are key reasons:

• Health and daily exposure: drilling releases diesel exhaust, odors, and fine particles that can worsen asthma and other respiratory diseases.
• Water protection: spills and leaks from drilling sites and wells cause long-lasting environmental damage and harm to people.
• Proximity negative impact: industrial activity next to homes, schools, and medical facilities ruins the quality of life. It can also cause a rapid decline in home values and influx of business to local businesses.

Other cities have taken similar steps to ban drilling, including neighboring Antioch. In addition, provided that ordinances are written as land-use rules, California law supports local governments using zoning to ban or reduce oil and gas activity.

The Revised ULL Can Help, but Not By Itself 

The Urban Limit Line (ULL) is a valuable voter-approved boundary that helps control where major urban development can and cannot happen.  In Contra Costa County, the ULL was shaped by a series of ballot measures, starting with Measure C (1990), then Measure J (2004), and extended by Measure L (2006). As mentioned before, the ULL will expire by year’s end unless voters renew it on the June primary ballot.  See the county detail here on the 2006 ULL history.

The ULL is a growth-management tool used to reduce sprawl and protect open space. The ULL works with the county general plan to maintain a ratio of 65 percent open, undeveloped space to 35 percent urban, developed areas within Contra Costa.  The county is planning to update the ULL county border to match city borders, which should help fight new oil drilling in some areas. ULL changes are key in East County, where long commutes and growing wildfire risks mean county decisions can quickly affect residents’ personal lives. While retaining the measure is essential, crucial general-plan revisions are needed to prevent new oil and gas drilling.

County Loopholes that Threaten Brentwood’s Drilling Ban

Residents of Brentwood remain vulnerable to oil and gas development due to specific “loopholes or gaps” in the Contra Costa County General Plan.  Here are gaps or open doors in county-level policy that pose a drilling threat.

The “Adjacent Unincorporated Land” Loophole

Here’s the main issue: a city ban doesn’t bind the county. If Contra Costa County allows new drilling or related industrial work on unincorporated land near Brentwood, families can end up living with severe impacts, despite the city ordinance protections.

• Border Proximity: The county can continue to permit exploratory drilling on unincorporated land that sits directly adjacent to Brentwood neighborhoods.
• Recent Case Example: an application from Bob Nunn at Sunset Exploration Inc (for Powerdrive Oil and Gas) was reviewed for a 60,000-square-foot well pad on unincorporated land just about 1,000 feet from Brentwood homes in the Sand Creek area. Since this land is outside the city boundary, Brentwood’s city ban cannot block it.

Remember, a city border is a legal line, not a physical barrier.  That means a drilling project just outside Brentwood can still wreak havoc on Brentwood residents. Here are drilling hazards that can hit home:

• Toxic air emissions can travel with the wind. Even if emissions meet permit limits, downwind residents can still suffer from odors, irritation, or headaches.  Families can’t “opt out” of breathing local polluted air.  Sadly, they often discover the health consequences too late to reverse them.
• Spill risk extends beyond any fence line. Soil movement, drainage, or roadside accidents worsen damage during transport
• Truck routes can run straight through Brentwood to reach a well site. That adds diesel exhaust near school drop-offs, more heavy vehicles at intersections, and a higher crash risk.
• Noise and nighttime light can carry, especially in flat areas. A site can look distant on a map, but still disrupt sleep.

At-Risk Gray Zones: Growing Neighborhoods Bordering Old Industrial Parcels

This “unincorporated land” loophole matters most in at-risk gray zones where newer subdivisions meet older industrial parcels. These zones are often where a county-approved drilling project can threaten school routes, parks, and homes. One such area is the Old Brentwood Oil & Gas Field in unincorporated Contra Costa. This area had proposed drilling sites historically located on agricultural land south of Heidorn Ranch Road and Old Sand Creek Road. This location is close to existing homes and schools.

Closing the “adjacent unincorporated land” gap isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting the health and well-being of all Brentwood residents. 

The 30-Acre “Administrative Shift” Loophole

The ULL is intended to be a hard boundary for development.  Still, a specific county policy allows it to be moved without a public vote: 

• Board Discretion: The county Board of Supervisors can move the ULL for areas of 30 acres or less with a 4/5ths vote.
• Added Vulnerability: Developers could use this “minor” adjustment loophole to pull small parcels of land in or out of “urban” designations, potentially opening them up for nearby drilling infrastructure.

The “Insufficient Setback Distance” Loophole

While the county’s current General Plan aligns with the state’s 3,200-foot setback from “sensitive receptors” (homes, hospitals, and schools), local health advocates say this is a regulatory loophole, and the required setback distance is not enough.

• Scientific Gap: Studies, including a 2021 Stanford report, indicate that toxic emissions and negative health impacts can occur up to 2.5 miles (13,200 feet) from a well. This suggests the current setback distances from drilling sites are not safe and need to be increased.
• Effective Failure of Current Buffer: A 3,200-foot buffer zone still allows drilling close enough to Brentwood, potentially to impact air and groundwater quality within the city.

The Permissive “Exploratory” Category Loophole

Under current county rules, “exploratory” drilling is often treated differently than permanent production:

• Negative Declarations: The county has previously attempted to issue “negative declarations” for exploratory wells. This basically green-lights exploratory wells to bypass full Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) by claiming “no negative impact”.
• Bridge to Further Production: An exploratory drilling permit can serve as a bridge to establish ongoing activity.  If an exploratory well finds commercial quantities of gas, it can be converted into a permanent production well, effectively setting up a long-term industrial site next to residential areas. 

Key for Brentwood residents: county land-use rules influence where heavy industrial companies target land. If the general plan language is not revised, it can cause oil and gas damage to creep into neighborhoods.  Vulnerable areas are city edges near open space, agricultural areas, and unincorporated land pockets.

A revised county plan with updates to close drilling-access loopholes can provide real-world protection for area families, as the Brentwood drilling ban aims to do. Our preferred solution: revise the county general plan to ban all fossil-fuel drilling countywide to protect all Contra Costa cities. This will help keep families away from the health risks of fossil-fuel drilling.

Active Efforts to Close Plan Gaps that Enable Drilling

• The 2026 ULL Vote: Contra Costa voters will decide on a 25-year renewal of the ULL in June 2026. The first step to protection is to pass the new updated ULL. However, key land-use revisions in the General Plan are still essential.
• Non-Conforming Use Status: Residents are petitioning the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to designate all oil and gas activities as a non-conforming land use. This would legally phase out existing wells and prevent the construction of new ones on all county land. 

Now’s the time to push county supervisors to revise the general plan to align it with city drilling bans.  For Brentwood, that could include:

Buffer rules near neighborhoods and schools: Insist the county set new higher minimum-distance separation between drilling activities and sensitive areas, using distances that match scientific health guidance and local experience.

No new drilling permits near city boundaries: Prevent unincorporated neighboring parcels right outside Brentwood from becoming a county workaround for the city’s rules designed to protect against drilling hazards.

Stronger groundwater safeguards: require higher monitoring, clearer spill-response plans, and limit activities that raise contamination risk near water sources.

When the county does not clearly detail these items, agencies can claim compliance while families still suffer the negative impacts of drilling.

What do Do by June 2026 to Close County loopholes and Back the Brentwood Drilling Ban

The goal is not to rewrite the whole county plan.  It’s to make revisions that ensure the county policy can’t undercut Brentwood-area drilling protections.

Start with these short steps:

1. Email the full Board of Supervisors and your district office. Keep it short, and include your zip code (94513 for Brentwood). Describe at least one local impact from drilling (school route risk, asthma, wildfire smoke, well water, traffic). 
2. Ask for revisions to set safer drilling setback distances and general plan alignment between county land-use policy and Brentwood’s drilling restrictions, so unincorporated areas near city limits can’t become a health threat.
3. Sign a petition to ban all Contra Costa oil and gas drilling.

Try a Short Message to County Supervisors that Gets Results

Subject: Revise the General Plan to Ensure Safer Brentwood-area drilling protections:

• Close loopholes that allow new oil and gas activity on unincorporated land near Brentwood neighborhoods.
• Align county land-use rules with Brentwood’s drilling ban goals, so city limits don’t become a workaround line for drilling.
• Keep drilling safely away from homes, schools, hospitals, and water sources, with safe buffers that match science and health findings, and enforceable permit limits.

Other Ways You Can Help

• Attend key hearings and provide public comment when general plan language or land-use updates are on the county agenda.
• Ask Brentwood and nearby city councils to send letters supporting county revisions to land-use policy to eliminate drilling.
• Coordinate with neighbors and local groups like 350 Contra Costa Action, and share one personal-impact story plus one clear request for the city or county. 

Tell Contra Costa County: Update the General Plan to explicitly ban oil and gas drilling in all of Contra Costa.  Push for revised language and county policies that keep new drilling safely away from neighborhoods, schools, and water sources. A city line alone won’t protect us.