SAN FRANCISCO — Yesterday, Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk announced that he will be stepping down as leader of the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM). Ntuk was appointed to the role — which oversees permitting for oil and gas drilling, public health and safety, and compliance with environmental regulations — by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019. Ntuk is a former Chevron employee with close ties to the industry he was appointed to regulate. The governor is expected to name his replacement in the coming months.
In response, The Climate Center Energy Program Manager Woody Hastings said:
“Appointing a new CalGEM Supervisor is another opportunity for California to demonstrate climate leadership. To cement his own legacy, Governor Newsom must appoint a new Supervisor with absolutely no ties to polluting oil and gas corporations or trade associations. This leader will be responsible for implementing the 3200-foot setbacks law, halting fracking, ceasing new drilling permits altogether, and pursuing a managed decline and ultimate phaseout of oil and gas drilling in California. A future beyond fossil fuels is within our reach.”
ENDS
Contact: Ryan Schleeter, Communications Director, The Climate Center: ryan@theclimatecenter.org, (415) 342-2386
About The Climate Center:
The Climate Center is a climate and energy policy nonprofit working to rapidly reduce climate pollution at scale, starting in California. We are a think-tank, do-tank working to turn bold ideas into action for a climate-safe future. Our flagship Climate-Safe California campaign is a unique and comprehensive effort to make California the first state in the nation to reach carbon negative. www.theclimatecenter.org
