Avenal, California
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Avenal (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
for "Oat field") is a city in
Kings County Kings County or King's County may refer to: Places Canada *Kings County, New Brunswick *Kings County, Nova Scotia * Kings County, Prince Edward Island ** King's County (electoral district), abolished in 1892 Ireland * County Offaly, formerly call ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Avenal is located southwest of
Hanford Hanford may refer to: Places *Hanford (constituency), a constituency in Tuen Mun, People's Republic of China *Hanford, Dorset, a village and parish in England *Hanford, Staffordshire, England *Hanford, California, United States *Hanford, Iowa, ...
, at an elevation of . It is part of the
Hanford Hanford may refer to: Places *Hanford (constituency), a constituency in Tuen Mun, People's Republic of China *Hanford, Dorset, a village and parish in England *Hanford, Staffordshire, England *Hanford, California, United States *Hanford, Iowa, ...
Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 25260), which encompasses all of Kings County. In area, it is the fourth-largest city in Kings County. The population was 15,505 in the 2010 census, which includes inmates at the
Avenal State Prison Avenal State Prison (ASP) is a male-only state prison in the city of Avenal, Kings County, California, United States. Facilities The structures on ASP's include "17 open dorm buildings, six 200-bed open dorm E-bed buildings, six converted gymn ...
, the first prison actively solicited by a community in the state of California. Many of the remaining residents largely either work at the prison or in the agriculture industry. The prison provides approximately 1,000 jobs to residents. The
California Department of Finance The California Department of Finance is a state cabinet-level agency within the government of California. The Department of Finance is responsible for preparing, explaining, and administering the state's annual financial plan, which the governo ...
estimated that Avenal's population was 13,496 on July 1, 2019. As of that date, Avenal State Prison held 4,165 inmates, which was about 32% of the total population of Avenal. Inmates are counted as city residents by both the
United States census The United States census (plural censuses or census) is a census that is legally mandated by the Constitution of the United States. It takes place every ten years. The first census after the American Revolution was taken in 1790 United States ce ...
and the California Department of Finance.


Early history

The City of Avenal was named by
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
soldiers and explorers. In
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
, means , and means . This area was covered with wild oats, "waist high," that looked like golden silk and covered the Kettleman Plains. Early American
settlers A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...
arrived in the
Kettleman Hills The Kettleman Hills is a low mountain range of the interior California Coast Ranges, in western Kings County, California. It is a northwest–southeast trending line of hills about 30 miles long which parallels the San Andreas Fault to the west. ...
during the 1850s with dreams of raising cattle and farming. Oil, however, would bring fame, fortune and people to the area. Native Americans had always known oil was in the hills, with natural seepage around
Coalinga Coalinga ( or ) is a city in the Pleasant Valley in Fresno County and the western San Joaquin Valley, in central California about 80 miles (128 km) southeast of Salinas. It was formerly known as ''Coaling Station A'', ''Coalingo'', and ' ...
and Tar Canyon. The first Kettleman Hills well was drilled in 1900, followed by countless unproductive efforts. On March 27, 1927, the Milham Exploration Company began work on Elliot No. 1. The crew toiled for 19 months, drilling past the mark. On October 5, 1928, the well blew out with a roar which was heard away, spewing forth an oil so fine that its color was white, and reportedly could be used unrefined as gasoline in automobiles. The discovery of oil transformed Avenal into a
boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although t ...
. In 1929,
Standard Oil Standard Oil Company was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...
surveyed the current site of Avenal to build a town. Makeshift houses were hauled in from Taft to take the place of the tents. A water line was laid and later a sewer plant was installed, a post office replaced a cigar box in the general store, a fire department was organized and a community grew. Standard Oil Company built the residents a 600-seat theater and a hospital. Also in the first year (1929), nearly 20 businesses occupied Kings Street and Skyline Boulevard. By 1936, Avenal boasted a population of 3,000—mostly oil workers—with 100 businesses and 69 private telephones and numerous community organizations. In 1940, Avenal was the second-largest town in Kings County with a population of over 4,000 and was known to have some of the best services and schools in the state. Although today Avenal and its economy are largely reliant on the Avenal State Prison and agriculture, Avenal was once a booming oil town known as the "Oil Fields Capital." The teeming life of the oil fields, the forward thrust of civilization into the sun-baked hills so recently in their pristine state meant the early development of nearby towns where adequate living facilities could be provided to care for the fast-growing population. Milham City was projected by a group of
Kings County Kings County or King's County may refer to: Places Canada *Kings County, New Brunswick *Kings County, Nova Scotia * Kings County, Prince Edward Island ** King's County (electoral district), abolished in 1892 Ireland * County Offaly, formerly call ...
citizens who owned lands on the slope of the hills east of the oil field. It scarcely had emerged from the dream stage when the
Standard Oil Company Standard Oil Company was a corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller. The ...
announced in 1929 that a townsite had been set aside on the northwestern slope of the hills and that it would be called Avenal. Thus the present thriving, interesting little town of Avenal came into being as the "oil capital" of the great field. Roads and streets were surveyed and laid out, water mains were laid, the town was launched on its purposeful career almost overnight. An emergency hospital was built. Small and large homes were purposefully constructed to enjoy a fuller life in the erstwhile barren plains and trees were planted to provide much needed shade. On December 5, 1929, the first mail arrived at the new Avenal post office located at Moore's Soda Fountain. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
was the site of a training landing strip called
Murray Field Murray Field is a county-owned public airport, located adjacent to Humboldt Bay within Eureka, California in Humboldt County. Most of its use is general aviation, but UPS flights stop for package delivery. History Murray Field was establis ...
, part of
Lemoore Army Air Field Lemoore Army Air Field, located southwest of Lemoore, California, was a dirt air field usable only in dry weather. It nevertheless was used by the AAF Western Flying Training Command as a processing and training field. The site of Lemoore A ...
.


Growth and development

Among the first business establishments at Avenal were Koepp's Welding Works, The Republic Supply Company, Mac's Coffee Shop, Moore's Soda Fountain and the Cross Lumber Company. Presently, the town included 26 oil field supply houses, 12 oil field service company branches, 9 grocery stores, 9 service stations, 8 restaurants, 5 welding establishments, 4 builders' supply houses and numerous other enterprises. While the oil fields and their urban center were populated with industrious, law-abiding people the problem of keeping the peace and maintaining the dignity of the law existed there just as it does in all other communities where there is life, action and big payrolls. To meet this commonplace problem a township was established and on April 1, 1937, E.W. Oliver was appointed as justice of the peace and William "Bill" Brendal was named constable. Aiding and cooperating with them in the enforcement of the law was Deputy Sheriff Richard "Dick" Doty, who was appointed by
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
L.P. Loftis in 1935. Two other county offices maintained deputies at Avenal for service in the oil fields. They were Orville Robbins, deputy county assessor; and R. W. Zivnuska, deputy county treasurer. By election in February 1934, the Avenal Township formed a fire district, which served efficiently both in the town and country districts. The three fire district commissioners originally elected were Ray Mohler, Floyd Rice and Jess Hamilton. The Avenal district owned one well-equipped
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
fire truck and a half interest with the West Side Fire Protection District, of a two-ton Reo fire truck. Two full-time drivers were regularly employed and 20 firemen worked call. The firehouse provided living quarters for the employees.
Fire Chief A fire chief or fire commissioner is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department. Nomenclature Various official English-language titles for a fire chief include ''fire chief'', ''chief fire officer'' and ''fire commissioner ...
L. H. Dell was assisted by M. L. Sperling. By April 1930, Dr. S. V. Dragoo was the head of the emergency hospital. Dr. Dragoo was assisted by one office worker and two nurses, having two special nurses on call. Between five and six hundred calls per month with about thirty accident cases were handled by this organization, not to mention the ambulance service extended. Appointed
postmistress A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...
in November 1931, Mrs. Marie Eads served in that office until July 1933, when she resigned and Charles E. Day was appointed. The post office later occupied a two-story building leased by the Standard Oil Company in 1935. Later in Avenal's history, the Post Office leased a space adjacent to Finster's Market (later T&T Market). In the late 1990s, the post office was relocated to its current location near the intersection of Skyline Blvd and San Joaquin Street. The collapse of oil and gas production came with the intrusion of salt water into the oil reservoir, leaving 65 to 70 percent of the North Dome of the Kettleman Hills still undisturbed. In 1953, oil companies with holdings in the area fields named the
Standard Oil Company of California Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation predominantly specializing in oil and gas. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to ...
to operate the fields. Avenal's economy dwindled and with it, many stores, buildings and houses were vacated until the 1960s when an influx of agricultural workers made a major impact on Avenal and surrounding area. The early 1970s saw two substantial projects that had significant impacts on the city: the completion of the
California Aqueduct The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada and valleys of Northern and Central California to Southern California. Named after California Gov ...
which brought in needed water to the westside of the San Jaoquin valley, and the opening of
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
. The citizens of Avenal voted for incorporation in September 1979, and while going through the early stages of being a new city, the citizens pursued and were successful in bringing a state prison to Avenal.
Avenal State Prison Avenal State Prison (ASP) is a male-only state prison in the city of Avenal, Kings County, California, United States. Facilities The structures on ASP's include "17 open dorm buildings, six 200-bed open dorm E-bed buildings, six converted gymn ...
opened in 1987. By 2009, it housed 6,577 inmates and employed 1,517 people, making it a vital part of the community. The building of the facility dramatically increased the city's total valuation with construction, improvements and activity that could be seen in every area of the city. Avenal is also home to the Central California Soaring Club headquartered at the Avenal Gliderport. This year-round operation is one of the few glider-only airports in the western United States, and one of only a few in the entire US that owns/operates its own airport. A soaring contest is held there every spring. Construction has been completed on the renovation of Skyline Boulevard ( California State Route 269) in the city's joint effort with
Caltrans The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...
. Avenal has also completed a massive public improvement project with the development of of new curbs, gutters and sidewalks throughout the city. In November 2010, the
Avenal Police Department Avenal may refer to: * Avenal, California, United States, a city ** Avenal Solar Facility ** Avenal State Prison, a men's prison * Avenal, New Zealand, a suburb of the city of Invercargill * Avenal McKinnon (1949–2021), New Zealand art historian ...
was initiated with 14 sworn officers. Jack Amoroso was the first
police chief A chief of police (COP) is the title given to an appointed official or an elected one in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. A chief of police may also be known as a police chief or sometimes just a chief, ...
. Although Avenal's future is no longer closely tied to oil, it will always mark its beginnings from "the day Milham came in," and the cigar box on the counter of the general store which was its first post office. In 2019, ''USA Today'' named Avenal the 10th-worst city in America due to high unemployment and violent crime.


Geography

Avenal is located at , north of
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and south of both
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
. The city is located on the Kettleman Plain, between the
Kettleman Hills The Kettleman Hills is a low mountain range of the interior California Coast Ranges, in western Kings County, California. It is a northwest–southeast trending line of hills about 30 miles long which parallels the San Andreas Fault to the west. ...
and the Chalk Buttes. The city boasts at being located, "Half the way from the Bay to L.A." According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Avenal has a total area of , all of it land. Most of the population resides in the southwestern portion of the city. The northeastern areas, separated by the
Kettleman Hills The Kettleman Hills is a low mountain range of the interior California Coast Ranges, in western Kings County, California. It is a northwest–southeast trending line of hills about 30 miles long which parallels the San Andreas Fault to the west. ...
, and where
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
passes through, remain mostly rural.


Climate

According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Avenal has a
semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.


Demographics

Avenal is a small city of approximately 13,696 people, including prison inmates. Avenal owes its origin to the discovery of oil on October 4, 1928, in the adjacent
Kettleman Hills The Kettleman Hills is a low mountain range of the interior California Coast Ranges, in western Kings County, California. It is a northwest–southeast trending line of hills about 30 miles long which parallels the San Andreas Fault to the west. ...
. Avenal was the site of a "tent city" as the boom started, but foresight made the boom orderly, so that by 1940 Avenal was the second largest town in Kings County with a population of 4,600. Growth continues today to include a more diversified economy based on oil, agriculture, and the service industry. In 1978, Avenal citizens voted to incorporate. The presence of the Avenal State Prison helps this rural community maintain economic stability, especially as the once-productive
Kettleman North Dome Oil Field The Kettleman North Dome Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in Kings County, California, Kings and Fresno County, California, Fresno counties, California. Discovered in 1928, it is the fifteenth largest field in the state by total ultimate oil ...
reaches exhaustion (less than one-half of one percent of its original oil remains).


2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Avenal had a population of 13,696. The population density was . The racial makeup of Avenal was 23.5%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.9%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.9% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 60.7% from other races, and 12.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
of any race were 84.3% of the population. The census reported that 9,408 people (68.7% of the population) lived in households and 4,288 (31.3%) were institutionalized. There were 2,479 households, out of which 58.7% included children under the age of 18, 51.1% were married-couple households, 10.2% were
cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...
couple households, 24.5% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.2% had a male householder with no partner present. 10.9% of households were one person, and 3.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.8. There were 2,094
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(84.5% of all households). The age distribution was 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% aged 18 to 24, 36.0% aged 25 to 44, 26.2% aged 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 35.0years. For every 100 females, there were 200.0 males. There were 2,586 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,479 (95.9%) were occupied. Of these, 43.9% were owner-occupied, and 56.1% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 36.3% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 22.8% spoke only English at home, 75.7% spoke
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
, 0.2% spoke other
Indo-European languages The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
, 0.8% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.5% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 51.2% were high school graduates and 4.4% had a bachelor's degree. The median household income in 2023 was $52,986, and the
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $13,664. About 16.7% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line.


2010

The 2010 United States census reported that Avenal had a population of 15,505. The population density was . The racial makeup of Avenal was 6,044 (39.0%) White, 1,625 (10.5%) African American, 186 (1.2%) Native American, 108 (0.7%) Asian, 6 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 7,188 (46.4%) from other races, and 348 (2.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,130 persons (71.8%). The census reported that 9,082 people (58.6% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6,423 (41.4%) were institutionalized. There were 2,222 households, out of which 1,437 (64.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,236 (55.6%) were opposite-sex
married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
couples living together, 404 (18.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 236 (10.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 236 (10.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 11 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 229 households (10.3%) were made up of individuals, and 73 (3.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.09. There were 1,876
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(84.4% of all households); the average family size was 4.26. The population was spread out, with 3,315 people (21.4%) under the age of 18, 1,661 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 6,039 people (38.9%) aged 25 to 44, 3,872 people (25.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 618 people (4.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 262.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 357.9 males. There were 2,410 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,011 (45.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,211 (54.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. Four thousand and seventy-seven people (26.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,005 people (32.3%) lived in rental housing units.


Economy

Avenal State Prison employs over 1,500 people. Other major employers include
The Wonderful Company The Wonderful Company LLC (also known as Wonderful Co., formerly Roll Global) is a private corporation based in Los Angeles, California. With revenues of over $4 billion, it functions as a holding company for Stewart and Lynda Resnick and as s ...
and the Reef-Sunset Unified School District. The city has been actively pursuing industrial development and is looking at future development of the Interstate 5 interchange area for both commercial and industrial uses. In 2008, a 600-megawatt electric power generating plant was proposed to be built and operated in Avenal by Macquarie Cook Power, a subsidiary of the
Macquarie Group Macquarie Group Limited (), more commonly known as Macquarie Bank, is an Australian multinational investment banking and financial services group headquartered in Sydney and listed on the ASX (). Macquarie's investment banking division is Au ...
, doing business as Avenal Power Center, LLC. The project application indicated that the power plant would be fueled with
natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
and that it would be air-cooled. The capital cost of the project would be $530 million. According to the project's proponents, the plant would have generated enough electricity to supply 450,000 homes and businesses annually. The
California Energy Commission The California Energy Commission, formally the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, is the primary energy policy and energy planning, planning Government agency, agency for California. Created in 1974 and headquartered in S ...
gave its final approval to the project on December 16, 2009. However, opponents of the power plant vowed to continue to fight. Bradley Angel, executive director of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, threatened to file a lawsuit if the
United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...
(USEPA) approved the project. Federal approval was delayed, causing the company to sue the USEPA. In February 2011, an EPA official told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that the agency would allow the project to proceed. According to a newspaper story, Bradley Angel commented that Greenaction would continue to fight the project. On May 26, 2011, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ordered the USEPA to make a final permit decision, which the agency did the following day. Construction of the power plant could begin after a 60-day administrative appeal period. Paul Cort of
Earthjustice Earthjustice (originally Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund) is a nonprofit public interest organization based in the United States dedicated to litigating environmental issues. Headquartered in San Francisco, they have an international program, a co ...
was quoted in a news story as saying that an administrative appeal would be filed, and if that is unsuccessful, the organization would appeal to the Federal court. In June 2011, both People for Clean Air and Water and the
Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...
filed petitions for review with the USEPA's environmental appeals board. The
Center for Biological Diversity The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species through legal action, scientific petitions, creative media and grassroots activism. It was founded in 1989 by Kieran Suck ...
joined the Sierra Club's petition. Their petition alleged that the proposed plant would emit excessive
nitrogen oxides In atmospheric chemistry, is shorthand for nitric oxide () and nitrogen dioxide (), the nitrogen oxides that are most relevant for air pollution. These gases contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting tr ...
and is being wrongfully grandfathered in under old clean air rules. On August 18, 2011, the USEPA's environmental appeals board denied the petition. Bradley Angel renewed his vow to continue the fight in court. A news story quoted him as saying: "Basically the fix was in when EPA boss Lisa Jackson broke her commitment to
environmental justice Environmental justice is a social movement that addresses injustice that occurs when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit. The movement has gene ...
and illegally approved the permit. We're going to continue to challenge it. It's going to court." On November 3, 2011, The Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and Greenaction filed suit with the
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts for the following federal judicial districts: * Distric ...
challenging the EPA permit. On August 12, 2014, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that appeal and rejected the permit, finding that the USEPA had improperly grandfathered the project under the old emissions standards. In June 2015, an attorney representing Avenal Power Center LLC sent a letter to the California Energy Commission stating the company "will let the license expire on Sept. 16, 2015" ending the 7-year long effort to build the power plant. Many local residents are employed in agriculture, which experienced significant growth on the westside of the
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; Spanish language in California, Spanish: ''Valle de San Joaquín'') is the southern half of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an importa ...
after the completion of the
California Aqueduct The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada and valleys of Northern and Central California to Southern California. Named after California Gov ...
in the early 1970s. However, the community was impacted by the
Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009.
as well as the
California drought The historical and ongoing droughts in California result from various complex meteorological phenomena, some of which are not fully understood by scientists. Drought is generally defined as "a deficiency of precipitation over an extended perio ...
and restrictions on pumping from the
Sacramento River The Sacramento River () is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River D ...
delta to protect endangered species. In November 2016, the
unemployment rate Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...
was 12.7%. In 2013, the
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
self-proclaimed Avenal to be the '
Pistachio The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...
Capital of the World', reflecting the importance of the pistachio industry to the city's economy.


Transportation

Avenal is located at the junction of California State Route 269 and
California State Route 33 State Route 33 (SR  33) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs north from U.S. Route 101 in Ventura through the Transverse Ranges and the western side of the San Joaquin Valley to Interstate 5 at a ...
. The intersection of Route 269 and
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
is located just to the north of Avenal in
Fresno County Fresno County (), officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,008,654. The county seat is Fresno, the fifth-most populo ...
.
Kings Area Regional Transit Kings Area Regional Transit (KART, previously Kings Area Rural Transit) is the primary bus service serving residents and visitors to the cities of Avenal, Hanford, and Lemoore in Kings County, California. KART is the branded service operated by ...
provides bus service between Avenal and
Hanford Hanford may refer to: Places *Hanford (constituency), a constituency in Tuen Mun, People's Republic of China *Hanford, Dorset, a village and parish in England *Hanford, Staffordshire, England *Hanford, California, United States *Hanford, Iowa, ...
.
FlixBus FlixBus (; styled FLiXBUS) is a German brand that offers low-cost Intercity bus service, intercity coach services in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. It is owned by , which also operates FlixTrain, FlixCar, , and Greyhound Lines. F ...
services the city, as a stop point in between
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and the bay area, at the junction of SR 269 and I-5.


Culture

Avenal has an annual celebration held on the first weekend in May called Avenal Old Timers Day. They also celebrate an annual Pistachio Festival.


Government

In the
California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...
, Avenal is in and in . In the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, Avenal is in California's 21st District and is represented by Republican
David Valadao David Goncalves Valadao ( ; born April 14, 1977) is an American politician and dairy farmer serving as the U.S. representative for California's 22nd congressional district since 2023. His district comprises part of the San Joaquin Valley. A m ...
. Avenal is represented on the Kings County Board of Supervisors by Richard Valle of Corcoran.


Education

All of the schools in the city of Avenal are within the Reef-Sunset Unified School District (RSUSD). Juan Ruiz was appointed Superintendent of the school district in 2023. The schools in this district are: * Avenal Elementary School (K-6) * Tamarack Elementary School (K-5) * Reef-Sunset Middle School (6–8) * Avenal High School (9–12) * Sunrise Continuation School (9–12) * Adelante Continuation School (9–12) * Kettleman City Elementary School (K-12) * Avenal Adult School
West Hills College Coalinga Coalinga College, formerly West Hills College Coalinga, is a public community college in Coalinga, California, with a satellite facility in Firebaugh. Both locations serve students in the central San Joaquin Valley. Established in 1932, Coaling ...
is located in Coalinga, about northwest of Avenal.


Notable people

*
Jose Ramírez Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean *Jose ben Halafta * ...
, 2012 Boxing Olympian, signed pro with
Top Rank Top Rank, Inc. is a boxing promotional company founded by Jabir Herbert Muhammad and Bob Arum, which was incorporated in 1973, and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since its founding, Top Rank has promoted many world class fighters, including M ...
. *
J.D. Williams Darnell "J. D." Williams (born May 22, 1978) is an American actor known for his starring roles in the HBO television programs '' Oz'' as Kenny Wangler, ''The Wire'' as Bodie Broadus and '' Pootie Tang'' as Froggy, '' Surviving Family'' (2012) ...
who is a former
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
*
Paul Williams Paul Williams may refer to: Authors * Paul Williams (Crawdaddy) (1948–2013), American music and science fiction journalist; founder of ''Crawdaddy'' and the Philip K. Dick Society * Paul Williams (Irish journalist) (born 1964), Irish journalis ...
, who is a former
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
for the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...


References


External links


Avenal Chimes newspaper

Avenal Health Center



Avenal Sand Drags

Reef-Sunset School District

Avenal Energy Power Plant Licensing Case, California Energy Commission
{{authority control Incorporated cities and towns in California Cities in Kings County, California