California Falls Behind East Coast States in Protecting Residents from Fracking, Extreme Extraction

Statement from Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director
Food & Water Watch

“California has fallen behind states like New York, and now Maryland, which have protected their residents by placing moratoria on fracking. How much more evidence does Governor Jerry Brown need before he gets serious about getting California off oil for good? The state’s southern coastline starting in Santa Barbara County is now an oily mess with tar balls, oiled birds and dead oiled marine mammals — including a dolphin — washing up on beaches. In the Central Valley, Big Oil has been injecting its oil waste fluid into protected aquifers, and has been selling oil field wastewater to irrigate crops in the nation’s produce basket. And, research shows that water used in fracking contains egregiously high levels of benzene and other cancer-causing chemicals. If policies and regulations are the dam meant to keep the oil industry’s toxic oil and wastewater from harming Californians’ water and environment, the dike has indeed sprung some major leaks, and the Governor is running out of fingers — and time — to plug them. Rather than offering excuses and justifications, Governor Brown must lay out a plan to quickly get California off fossil fuels and move the state rapidly to 100 percent renewable energy. Governor Brown’s first step should be to end the expansion of oil development by placing an immediate ban on fracking and extreme extraction.”

Contact: Sandra Lupien, Food & Water Watch, 510-681-3171, [email protected]