At the end of June, the California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA) withdrew its referendum to repeal SB 1137, a law requiring a 3,200-foot health and safety setback zone between toxic oil drilling and homes, schools, and other sensitive sites. California has more than 100,000 unplugged oil and gas wells and nearly one-third of them are within 3,200 feet of these sensitive areas, exposing nearly 3 million Californians to carcinogens and other pollutants every day.
Big Oil spent more than $60 million and 18 months on a failed effort to repeal the law. As a part of that effort, neighborhood drillers and oil industry trade groups poured more than $20 million into a deceptive campaign that dispatched petitioners who lied to voters about what the referendum would do.
To defeat the referendum, The Climate Center joined the bill’s co-authors, Senators Lena Gonzalez and Monique Limón, as well as a coalition of more than 400 organizations, activists, legislators, and philanthropists to form the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California.
Frontline communities have been fighting Big Oil for decades and their work to build power delivered this major win. Last year’s Big Oil Resistance Tour strengthened a statewide coalition that is now more organized and energized to enact policies that protect public health and the climate. A coalition of frontline community groups called Voices In Solidarity Against Oil In Neighborhoods (VISIÓN) remains instrumental in organizing for public health protections for communities exposed to fossil fuel pollution.
This victory comes at a challenging time for the country. The U.S. Supreme Court just limited the regulatory authority of federal agencies, upending 40 years of legal precedent. This decision means hundreds of federal rules limiting air, water, and climate pollution may be weakened or eliminated, making environmental regulations like SB 1137 even more important to protect California communities.
Today we celebrate this victory and tomorrow we’ll continue collaborating with this powerful coalition that defeated Big Oil to secure a climate-safe future for all!
This blog first appeared in The Climate Center’s bi-weekly newsletter. To keep up with the latest climate news and ways to take action for a climate-safe future, subscribe today!
