7/15/26
"Absolutely amazing!"
️️️️️
Made things so easy for me to understand and guided me step by step. Especially Karim.
Jennifer A.
If you don’t win, we don’t get paid: 855-263-5412
Environmental law cases can involve complex questions about pollution, toxic exposure, property damage, public health, and compliance with federal, California, and local environmental regulations.
For Bakersfield and Kern County residents, environmental concerns can arise from a wide range of sources, including industrial operations, oil and gas activity, agricultural practices, transportation corridors, pesticide use, hazardous waste, contaminated soil or groundwater, and air emissions.
At Matern Law Group, we represent individuals and groups seeking accountability for environmental harm. When unlawful conduct affects a neighborhood, workplace, property, or broader community, our Bakersfield environmental lawyers can evaluate the facts, identify potentially applicable laws, and help determine what legal remedies may be available.
If you believe your health, property, or community has been harmed by environmental pollution or another suspected violation, fill out our contact form for a free consultation.
Environmental matters affecting Bakersfield residents may involve:
Clean air is essential to the health of Bakersfield residents and surrounding Kern County communities.
Air quality in California is regulated through a combination of federal, state, and local laws and agencies. The federal Clean Air Act establishes nationwide air-quality requirements, while the California Air Resources Board and local air districts regulate emissions and work toward state and federal air-quality standards.
Potential sources of air pollution may include:
Environmental justice concerns can arise when communities already facing economic or health challenges are also disproportionately exposed to pollution. California’s environmental justice programs specifically focus on identifying and addressing communities burdened by multiple pollution sources.
When unlawful air emissions cause harm to individuals, property, or communities, potential claims may involve environmental statutes, nuisance law, personal injury, property damage, or other legal theories depending on the circumstances.
Some environmental pollutants contain substances known or suspected to increase cancer risk.
Potential exposure can occur through:
Exposure to a carcinogen does not automatically establish that a particular illness was caused by that substance. Environmental exposure cases often require scientific, medical, and technical evidence concerning the substance involved, concentration, duration of exposure, pathway of exposure, and resulting harm.
If you believe you have been exposed to dangerous pollutants because of unlawful dumping, emissions, contamination, or another environmental violation in Bakersfield, an attorney can help evaluate whether the facts may support a legal claim.
“Forever chemicals” is a commonly used term for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
PFAS are a large group of synthetic chemicals known for their persistence in the environment. They have historically been used in products and applications such as:
Because PFAS can persist for long periods, contamination can involve groundwater, drinking-water supplies, soil, and other parts of the environment.
California continues to expand PFAS monitoring. In 2025 and 2026, the State Water Resources Control Board issued and amended statewide PFAS monitoring orders requiring testing by certain public water systems. Bakersfield water sources are among the systems monitored for PFAS.
PFAS litigation can involve manufacturers, industrial facilities, water contamination, firefighting foam, or other sources of alleged exposure.
Hazardous waste can include chemicals, petroleum products, industrial byproducts, contaminated materials, and other wastes capable of harming people or the environment.
Improper storage, handling, transportation, or disposal may contaminate:
California hazardous-waste laws are enforced by multiple state and local agencies, including the Department of Toxic Substances Control and other environmental regulators.
Potential legal claims may arise when hazardous waste is released unlawfully and causes personal injury, property damage, environmental contamination, or other legally recognized harm.
Matern Law Group can evaluate suspected hazardous-waste contamination and help determine which environmental laws or other legal remedies may apply.
Polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly known as PCBs, are synthetic chemicals that were historically used in electrical equipment, industrial applications, lubricants, and other products.
Although PCBs were banned from most new uses in the United States decades ago, they can remain in older equipment, buildings, sediment, soil, and other parts of the environment because they break down slowly.
Potential PCB contamination may involve:
PCB cases can involve federal environmental law as well as California statutes, depending on where contamination occurred and who may be responsible.
Pesticides are widely used in agricultural regions, making pesticide regulation particularly relevant to Bakersfield and Kern County.
Pesticides can potentially enter the environment through:
California regulates pesticide use through the Department of Pesticide Regulation and local agricultural commissioners, while federal environmental laws may also apply.
Pesticide runoff can affect surface water or groundwater, but the original page’s suggestion that pesticide runoff is automatically a “direct violation of the Clean Water Act” is too broad. Whether a discharge violates federal or state law depends on the source, permit requirements, pollutant involved, and other circumstances.
Employees, residents, property owners, or communities affected by unlawful pesticide exposure may have potential legal remedies depending on the evidence and resulting harm.
PFAS contamination has become an increasingly important environmental and drinking-water issue in California.
PFAS can enter the environment through industrial activities, firefighting foam, waste disposal, consumer products, and other pathways. Once released, some PFAS compounds can persist in groundwater and soil for long periods.
California’s State Water Resources Control Board has expanded PFAS testing requirements for public water systems, and current state records show PFAS monitoring associated with Bakersfield water sources.
Potential PFAS claims may involve:
The legal viability of a PFAS case depends on the source of contamination, responsible parties, exposure evidence, and type of harm involved.
Solid waste includes municipal garbage, industrial waste, construction debris, and other discarded materials. Some solid wastes may also qualify as hazardous waste depending on their characteristics.
Improper waste storage, dumping, transportation, or disposal can potentially affect:
Landfills and other waste facilities are subject to state and local environmental requirements. Illegal dumping or improper waste management may lead to regulatory enforcement as well as private legal claims when individuals or property owners suffer harm.
Hazardous or toxic waste is material that may pose a substantial risk to human health or the environment because of its chemical, physical, biological, or radioactive characteristics.
Potential sources can include:
Toxic-waste cases can involve complicated questions about the origin of contamination, how pollutants moved through the environment, which parties were responsible, and whether the exposure caused a legally compensable injury.
Our Bakersfield environmental lawyers can evaluate contamination claims involving individuals, properties, workplaces, and communities.
Water is an especially important environmental resource in Bakersfield and throughout Kern County.
Potential sources of surface-water or groundwater contamination can include:
California’s State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards oversee water quality, permits, pollution monitoring, and enforcement against unlawful discharges.
Contaminated drinking water or groundwater can raise particular concerns when pollutants exceed applicable health or regulatory standards. California’s current environmental screening system also specifically tracks groundwater threats as one component of cumulative community pollution burden.
When water pollution causes personal injury, property damage, loss of use, cleanup costs, or other legally recognized harm, affected individuals or communities may have legal options.
Environmental justice focuses on ensuring that no community bears an unfair share of pollution and environmental harm.
California defines environmental justice around fair treatment and meaningful community involvement regardless of race, color, national origin, or income. State agencies use tools such as CalEnviroScreen to identify communities experiencing multiple pollution burdens and socioeconomic vulnerabilities.
Environmental justice cases can involve:
When pollution affects an entire neighborhood or group, legal strategies may include individual claims, coordinated litigation, class actions, regulatory proceedings, or other forms of environmental advocacy depending on the circumstances.
Environmental pollution can affect far more than the natural environment. It can affect a person’s health, home, property value, livelihood, and quality of life.
Environmental cases may involve overlapping federal statutes, California environmental regulations, local agency rules, personal injury law, property law, nuisance claims, and other legal theories.
At Matern Law Group, we represent individuals and communities seeking accountability for environmental harm. Our attorneys can investigate the source of suspected pollution, evaluate the laws that may apply, and help determine whether litigation or another legal remedy is appropriate.
If you believe pollution, toxic exposure, contaminated water, hazardous waste, or another environmental problem has harmed you or your community, contact us for a free consultation with our Bakersfield environmental lawyers.
Our Practices are Guided by Integrity. We’ll protect what you deserve.
We work tirelessly and fight tenaciously to hold rights abusers accountable.
If you’ve experienced a distressing incident related to an issue like this, call us for a free case evaluation.
7/15/26
"Absolutely amazing!"
️️️️️
Made things so easy for me to understand and guided me step by step. Especially Karim.
Jennifer A.
6/25/26
"Pleasure to speaking to you Karim."
️️️️️
Thank you for helping me out and hearing what I am going through. I thank you for the support you have for me an my family. God bless you.
Carlos C.
5/15/26
"Great people!!"
️️️️️
Listened to everything I had to say and gave me assured information that they will see what we can do and plan. Definitely recommend them to others.
Janice Barragan
4/26/26
"Matern Law Group was very attentive to the questions and concerns I raised."
️️️️️
They took the time to listen carefully and patiently explain the legal issues in a clear and professional way. Especially Karim — he was responsive, kind, and thorough throughout the process. I…
Amber Kuo
Legal cases can be lengthy, complicated, and confusing. We understand how difficult it is for an individual to navigate the California courts and legal system to redress violations faced at work. That’s why our experienced Bakersfield environmental lawyers will be your partners so you don’t have to take on the system all by yourself. We take the time to understand your predicament, do the legwork to investigate your employer, gather all the necessary information, and advocate for you tirelessly.
If you believe someone has violated your individual rights or the rights of a group of people in your community, we can help you find the right course of action. Our team of Bakersfield environmental law attorneys will help you understand your rights and take action. At Matern Law Group, we believe in neighbors helping neighbors. Let us put our legal knowledge and experience to work on your behalf.
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