On September 16, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1137 into law. The law protects public health and safety by banning new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, hospitals, and other sensitive sites. This law was scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2023 — but the oil and gas industry is spending millions of dollars to continue polluting at the expense of community health.
Fossil fuel corporations tried and failed to defeat SB 1137 in the legislature. Just days after it was signed into law, these same corporate interests filed a petition to put a referendum on the 2024 ballot to overturn the law. After misleading voters to collect enough signatures to qualify the referendum for the 2024 ballot, this process could delay the implementation of SB 1137 until at least November 2024. That means millions of Californians are still at risk from toxic neighborhood drilling — this is unacceptable.
Ending oil and gas drilling in neighborhoods should have happened years ago. Neighborhood drilling is a massive health threat that disproportionately impacts working-class, Black, and Latinx Californians. Many other oil-producing states have had public health setbacks in place for a long time.
It’s time to fight back! Send an email to Governor Newsom today urging him to impose an immediate moratorium on any new oil and gas drilling permits in California and fight for the implementation of SB 1137.
Send your message to Governor Newsom!
After you send your message, we’ll reach out with ways you can take action and organize in your community to make climate solutions a reality.