SB 4 HEADS INTO ITS FINAL COMMITTEE Many of you have asked what you can do to help achieve our goal of responsible oil and gas policy in Ventura County. We need everyone to contact Appropriations Committee Chair Mike Gatto so that (SB 4) the fracking and well stimulation control law is NOT weakened!! His email address is: [email protected] His office : 916-319-2043 The Assembly appropriations committee is scheduled to take up SB 4 today (August 24th). That bill, authored by Senator Fran Pavley and supported by CFROG, would impose some important (but far from complete) regulations on all well stimulation including fracking. As decision time draws close, there is a vigorous debate in the environmental movement over whether the passage of SB-4 will hurt the effort to ban fracking beneath Ventura County and other parts of California. But CFROG still supports SB 4 and here is why. ‣ Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) is already underway and is virtually unregulated in California. ‣ No single bill can cover everything and must be viewed as a starting point for additional state and local controls. ‣ If passed, there will be ground water monitoring, permitting, notification, disclosure of chemicals and a scientific study. ‣ If it is defeated, the state oil and gas division (DOGGR) is likely to come out with very weak, fracking-only regulations, leaving other common methods such as acidizing unregulated. ‣ If it passes, DOGGR must make random periodic inspections of all types of well stimulation. ‣ If, once SB-4 becomes law, the public can rally support for fracking moratoria, counties and cities will pass them and then the pressure would rise on the legislature to do the same. Vertical fracking has been used repeatedly in Ventura County for decades and now with the advent of proposed horizontal fracking, we have a chance to bring more order to the oil fields. If SB4 passes, citizens worried about the effects of fracking on their well water can request the regional water quality control board perform water quality sampling. The tests will be made prior to the introduction of fracking chemicals and compared to the post-fracking water. The oil companies will also have to disclose how much fresh water they will use, and how the toxic mixture of waste water will be disposed of when they are done. CFROG is also working with legal and legislative experts to get more local control. We propose that cities and the county improve zoning regulations to require environmental reports that demand that potential adverse impacts be resolved. THERE WILL BE ATTEMPTS MADE TO WATER DOWN SB 4! These are vital. ‣ SB 4 must cover all types of well stimulation . ‣ The oil companies must obtain permits and those should be subject to environmental review. Thank you! And if you have time left over, donate to CFROG and help us continue pushing for local protection. https://cfrog.nationbuilder/donate
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 05:49:45 +0000
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