PlainEnviro

Kern, CA

High Risk (75/100)

Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology. This is a different measure than the EJ Screening score for this county, which ranks it by percentile against other tracked counties rather than against these fixed caps.

Environmental data for Kern in California · Population: 910,433

TRI sites such as Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC; Wm Bolthouse Farms Inc; Frito Lay Inc.; SDWIS systems such as DELANO, CITY OF; OILDALE MWC; TEJON CASTAC WD - I5 & LAVAL RD; NPL sites such as Brown & Bryant, Inc. (Arvin Plant) anchor Kern, CA's EPA extract. Derived burden score 75/100 (High Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.

EPCRA disclosures in Kern total 55.7M lbs; health-flagged SDWIS rows include OILDALE MWC; TEJON CASTAC WD - I5 & LAVAL RD; WASCO, CITY OF, while Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC leads TRI pounds. AQS median AQI 72 / peak 177 in 2024.

Largest TRI sites in the extract: Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC; Wm Bolthouse Farms Inc; Frito Lay Inc.. Named SDWIS systems: DELANO, CITY OF; OILDALE MWC; TEJON CASTAC WD - I5 & LAVAL RD. NPL sites on record: Brown & Bryant, Inc. (Arvin Plant). Burden score 75/100 (High Risk) is the only weighted composite here; tables reproduce EPA disclosure history, not a current-safety verdict.

Release-over-release change

What changed for Kern, CA: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

-35.4%

32 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

-35.4%

14.4 million lb → 9.3 million lb, every facility that filed

Between the two reporting years, 1 facility filed for the first time and 3 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.

  • Kern, CA's total reported releases fell from 14.4 million lb in 2022 to 9.3 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Kern, CA's water releases rose from 483 lb in 2022 to 873 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Kern, CA's land releases fell from 13.3 million lb in 2022 to 8.2 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Kern, CA's off-site transfers fell from 915.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 843.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
910,433
TRI Facilities
41
Water Systems
113
Superfund Sites
1
Total Releases
55.7M lbs

Air Quality History (2020–2024)

EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy (SG) Max AQI
2024 76 (21%) 196 73 177
2023 85 (23%) 210 58 174
2022 47 (13%) 196 109 289
2021 35 (10%) 202 97 314
2020 56 (15%) 180 98 267
2024 Good Air Quality: 21% of days
Unhealthy days: 94
Median AQI: 72

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)

For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in California, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.

Water Systems (113)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
DELANO, CITY OF 51,428 0
OILDALE MWC 44,899 19
TEJON CASTAC WD - I5 & LAVAL RD 38,125 12
VAUGHN WC INC 37,189 0
WASCO, CITY OF 22,757 12
SHAFTER, CITY OF 21,915 4
WEST KERN WATER DISTRICT 20,500 0
ARVIN COMMUNITY SERVICES DIST 19,669 133
LAMONT PUBLIC UTILITY DIST 19,057 39
ROSAMOND CSD 17,711 0
CALIFORNIA CITY, CITY OF 14,198 2
MCFARLAND, CITY OF 14,161 33
GREENFIELD COUNTY WD 11,590 74
EDWARDS AFB - MAIN BASE 11,316 3
GOLDEN HILLS CSD 9,857 0
TEHACHAPI, CITY OF 9,094 1
CHINA LAKE NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION 6,600 3
BEAR VALLEY CSD 5,592 2
WASCO ST. PRISON RECEPTION CTR 5,124 3
STALLION SPRINGS CSD 4,910 4
MOJAVE PUD 4,699 0
CCI - TEHACHAPI 2,993 2
LERDO SHERIFF S FACILITY 2,800 0
ERSKINE CREEK WC 2,500 1
LOST HILLS UTILITY DISTRICT 2,370 6
MIL POTRERO MWC 2,200 0
BUTTONWILLOW CWD 1,508 2
LEBEC COUNTY WATER DISTRICT 1,379 59
NORTH EDWARDS WD 1,105 203
DESERT LAKE COMM SERV DIST 968 0
MOUNTAIN MESA WC 777 0
RIVERDALE VILLAGE 750 1
A.F.P. MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 710 0
TRADEWIND WATER ASSOC. 632 33
FULLER ACRES MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 545 0
LAKE ISABELLA COMMUNITY SERVICES DIST 500 0
CANYON MEADOWS MUTUAL WATER 465 4
BROCK MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 462 34
SON SHINE PROPERTIES 438 42
STOCKDALE ANNEX MUTUAL WATER 433 0
STOCKDALE RANCHOS MUTUAL WATER CO 393 2
VALLEY ESTATES POA, INC. 386 1
RAND COMMUNITIES WATER DISTRICT 303 61
WILLOW SPRINGS MOBILE HOME PARK 275 0
NORTH MUROC MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 270 0
CHANAC CREEK MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 240 0
RAINBIRD VALLEY MWC 238 96
QVWD-WEST & EAST COMBINED WATER SYSTEM 221 48
STOCKDALE MUTUAL WATER CO. 200 4
EL ADOBE POA, INC. 200 29
MANON MANOR MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 200 1
LANDS OF PROMISE MWC 174 49
WEST TEHACHAPI MUTUAL 150 0
BELLA VISTA MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 150 0
HART CREEK ESTATES MUTUAL WATER CO. 148 0
SIERRA BELLA MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 144 1
ALTA SIERRA MUTUAL WATER CO. 143 0
MAHER MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 140 98
HARVEST MOON MUTUAL WATER CO 138 0
KERN VALLEY MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 132 4
TEJON RANCH MAIN HEADQUARTERS 132 0
OAK KNOLLS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 123 8
LONG CANYON WATER COMPANY CORP. 122 0
LAKEVIEW RANCHOS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 120 39
PINON VALLEY WATER COMPANY 112 2
ST. CLAIR RANCHOS MUTUAL WATER CO. 105 0
GLENNVILLE MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 100 0
VALLEY VIEW ESTATES MUTUAL WATER CO 97 18
WONDER ACRES WATER SYSTEM 92 0
METTLER COUNTY WATER DISTRICT 90 39
GOOSELAKE WATER COMPANY 90 11
CLARK STREET COMMUNITY WELL 90 2
BRITE LAKE MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 89 0
AERIAL ACRES WATER COMPANY, INC. 87 0
UPLANDS OF THE KERN MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 80 7
KERNVALE MUTUAL WATER CO 75 0
HUNGRY GULCH MWC 74 57
TOWN & COUNTRY WATER COMPANY 73 0
GOLDEN VALLEY MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT 70 0
PINEBROOK COMMUNITY WATER WELL 68 0
R.S. MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 67 91
KEELER COMMUNITY SERVICE DISTRICT 66 36
WILSON ROAD WATER COMMUNITY 66 38
WEGIS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 64 8
RANCHOS DEL RIO 62 2
FOURTH STREET WATER SYSTEM 56 34
WILLIAM FISHER MEMORIAL WATER COMPANY 56 51
LLANAS CAMP FOUR WATER SYSTEM 54 0
THE ANNE SIPPI CLINIC-RIVERSIDE RANCH 51 4
AGAPE MUTUAL WATER SYSTEM 50 0
ROUND MOUNTAIN WATER COMPANY 50 66
GOSFORD ROAD WATER COMPANY 50 3
POND MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 48 15
PANAMA ROAD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOC 45 3
OWENS PEAK SOUTH 45 0
CHOCTAW VALLEY MUTUAL WATER CO. 44 2
CYPRESS CANYON WATER SYSTEM 44 4
KRANENBURG WATER SYSTEM 42 0
HEATH BRIMHALL P.O.A. 39 0
60TH STREET ASSOC. WATER SYSTEM 39 12
HILLVIEW ACRES MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 36 0
FIRST MUTUAL WATER SYSTEM 35 50
EAST WILSON ROAD WATER COMPANY 35 32
RANCHO SECO INC. WATER SYSTEM 33 1
NORD ROAD WATER ASSOCIATION 32 47
MEADOWS OF THE KERN MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 32 1
WINI MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 29 14
NORTH KRANENBURG WS 28 0
SCHWEIKART WATER SYSTEM 27 2
MIRASOL COMPANY WATER SYSTEM 26 9
SPRING MOUNTAIN MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 26 15
HOMETOWN WATER ASSOCIATION 25 0
KERN COUNTY WATER AGENCY 0 0

TRI Facilities (41)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC 50.4M lbs
2 Wm Bolthouse Farms Inc 3.2M lbs
3 Frito Lay Inc. 523.8K lbs
4 Containment Solutions Inc 332.2K lbs
5 US Dod Usaf Edwards Afb Ca 259.9K lbs
6 Golden Queen Mining Co LLC 242.8K lbs
7 Prc-Desoto International Inc. 168.2K lbs
8 National Cement Co of California Inc 118.0K lbs
9 Baker Petrolite 109.3K lbs
10 Kern Energy 43.4K lbs
11 Tehachapi Cement LLC 35.0K lbs
12 Bakersfield Renewable Fuels LLC - Areas 1 & 2 34.8K lbs
13 Calportland Co Mojave Plant 31.5K lbs
14 Ennis-Flint Bakersfield 26.3K lbs
15 Nusil Technology LLC 20.3K lbs
16 Innovative Coating Technology Inc 20.1K lbs
17 Elk Co of Texas LLC 18.8K lbs
18 U.S. Dod Naws China Lake 18.8K lbs
19 San Joaquin Refining Co Inc 15.2K lbs
20 Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream 13.1K lbs
21 Amber Chemical Inc. 13.1K lbs
22 Building Materials Manufacturing LLC 10.5K lbs
23 Trical Inc. 7.6K lbs
24 Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions - Bakersfield 6.6K lbs
25 Championx-Bakersfield 3.5K lbs
26 Kw Plastics of California 3.4K lbs
27 Dorf Ketal Energy Services LLC - Bakersfield Site 3.0K lbs
28 Hoover Treated Wood Products Inc. 2.5K lbs
29 J.g. Boswell Co - Kern Tomato 2.5K lbs
30 Argo Chemical Inc 804 lbs
31 Asphalt Terminals LLC - Bakersfield 350 lbs
32 Taft Manufacturing LLC 257 lbs
33 Bakersfield Renewable Fuels LLC - Area 3 58 lbs
34 Bakersfield Renewable Fuels LLC - Terminal 49 lbs
35 Kemira Water Solutions Inc 46 lbs
36 Asphalt Terminals LLC - Mojave 28 lbs
37 Tricor Refining LLC 1 lbs
38 Holliday Rock Co - Bakersfield 0 lbs
39 Certis USA 0 lbs
40 Holliday Rock - Bakersfield #2 0 lbs
41 Pennzoil-Quaker State Co (dba Sopus Products) 0 lbs

Superfund Sites (1)

Site Name Status HRS Score
Brown & Bryant, Inc. (Arvin Plant) NPL Site 53.36

Cities in Kern (32)

Bakersfield
23 facilities · 49 water
Mojave
7 facilities · 2 water
Tehachapi
2 facilities · 12 water
Shafter
2 facilities · 4 water
Buttonwillow
2 facilities · 2 water
Lebec
1 facilities · 3 water
Wasco
1 facilities · 3 water
China Lake
1 facilities · 1 water
Taft
1 facilities · 1 water
Edwards
1 facilities · 0 water
Lake Isabella
0 facilities · 7 water
Weldon
0 facilities · 6 water
Rosamond
0 facilities · 4 water
Wofford Heights
0 facilities · 4 water
North Edwards
0 facilities · 3 water
Ridgecrest
0 facilities · 3 water
California City
0 facilities · 2 water
Lamont
0 facilities · 2 water
Arvin
0 facilities · 1 water
Bakerfield
0 facilities · 1 water
Bodfish
0 facilities · 1 water
Cantil
0 facilities · 1 water
Edison
0 facilities · 1 water
Edwards Afb
0 facilities · 1 water
Glennville
0 facilities · 1 water
Gorman
0 facilities · 1 water
Johanesburg
0 facilities · 1 water
Keene
0 facilities · 1 water
Lost Hills
0 facilities · 1 water
Mcfarland
0 facilities · 1 water
Pine Mountain Club
0 facilities · 1 water
Woody
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Kern, California? ▼
Kern, CA has an environmental risk score of 75/100 (High Risk), based on 41 TRI facilities, 1 Superfund sites, and 113 water systems on record. 71 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Kern? ▼
Yes, Kern, CA has 1 Superfund site on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL). Superfund sites are contaminated locations that require long-term cleanup under the EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
How many toxic release facilities are in Kern? ▼
Kern, CA has 41 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 55.7M lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Kern? ▼
In 2024, Kern, CA recorded a median AQI of 72 and a peak AQI of 177. 21% of monitored days had "Good" air quality (AQI 0–50). Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County.
Is the drinking water safe in Kern? ▼
Kern, CA has 113 EPA-regulated water systems. 71 systems have reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Kern? ▼
Environmental compliance in Kern, California is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the California state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

What does this county environmental profile show?

This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.

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How to Check Environmental Quality
Step-by-step guide to checking your local environment

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro