Plan to allow thousands of California oil wells faces vote

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A plan to fast-track drilling of thousands of new oil and gas wells over the next 15 years in California's prime oil patch was approved Monday by Kern County officials over objections by environmental groups.

The Kern County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve a revised ordinance supported by the influential petroleum industry that creates a blanket environmental impact report to approve as many as 2,700 new wells a year...