California: what the public record shows.
12,558 documented environmental records across 57 counties, published by federal and state agencies and mapped beside the health measures those agencies release. Locations and rates only — nothing here shows that anything caused anything else.
Documented records in California
Published health measures
| Measure | Years | Areas |
|---|---|---|
| All-cause infant mortality | 1989–2022 | 58 |
| Child and youth mortality (ages 1-19) | 2019–2022 | 58 |
| Low birthweight (<2,500 g) | 2016–2022 | 58 |
| Premature death (years of potential life lost before 75) | 2020–2022 | 58 |
| Teen births (ages 15-19) | 2016–2022 | 58 |
Rates are area-level and published by their source. Where a source suppressed a small count, it stays unpublished here.
Events on the public record
Porter Ranch, Los Angeles County, CA · 2015–2016
Aliso Canyon methane blowout
A ruptured storage well vented roughly 100,000 tonnes of methane and odorants over nearly four months, displacing thousands of nearby residents.
Hinkley, San Bernardino County, CA · 1952
Hinkley chromium-6 groundwater plume
Hexavalent chromium used as a cooling-tower corrosion inhibitor entered groundwater and formed a plume that is still under remediation.
Who to contact in California
State agency
California Environmental Protection Agency
Umbrella state agency covering air resources, water boards, toxic substances and pesticide regulation.
Nonprofit / community group
Communities for a Better Environment
Environmental justice organization working with refinery-adjacent communities in Southern California and the Bay Area.
Nonprofit / community group
Central California Environmental Justice Network
San Joaquin Valley network on oil field, pesticide and drinking water exposure.
Nonprofit / community group
Community Water Center
Works with rural and low-income California communities on safe and affordable drinking water.
Nonprofit / community group
Coalition for Clean Air
Statewide air quality advocacy and public education organization.
Nearby coverage